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Smoking
Following a spate of evasive publicity that smoking was a wasteful expense and an
untidy nuisance, the new Health Education Council embarked on a long term national
campaign, reverting to an emphasis on the health risks of smoking. The Health
Department co-operated fully with continuous local publicity and educational talks and
films for adults and children.
Health authorities face two formidable problems on this subject: firstly to interpret
to the growing ranks of juvenile smokers the risks of serious illness or death in later years
which to early teenagers may seem too remote to worry about, and secondly to impress
upon adults their responsibilities, by persuasion and example, to encourage children to
heed this advice.
Venereal Disease
There has been a tendency in the past to relegate publicity on the subject to
obscure corners of public conveniences. The increase in this disease has resulted in a
much more open attitude, and it was decided to design and print a large poster
prominently displaying the addresses and times of local treatment clinics. These posters
were exhibited throughout the borough on public notice boards and in all Council offices,
and a wide distribution of leaflets was maintained throughout the year.
Special attention has been given to the inclusion of venereal disease in talks and
films on sex education for adult and adolescent groups.
Dental Hygiene
The Health Department and the School Dental Service of the Inner London
Education Authority have co-operated closely in dental hygiene education for children.
This subject remains one of the most important targets in health education and a number
of projects were undertaken during the year. Through the kind co-operation of Colgate
Palmolive Ltd., packs containing tooth paste, tooth brush and a beaker inscribed with the
dental health rules in verse were distributed to young children in day nurseries and
attending dental clinics. The Oral Hygiene Service also kindly gave permission for the
illustration of their "Fuzzy Bunny" leaflets to be reproduced on a card as a painting
competition with the best answer to the question "How do you keep your teeth clean?",
which evoked an encouraging response.
An excellent I.L.E.A. puppet theatre with dolls representing the "goodies and
baddies" of the dental scene visit 39 infant schools, and was also featured in special
sessions during the school summer holidays referred to later.
Dental health education on more adult lines has also been undertaken continuously
with-talks at senior schools and mothers' clubs, for there is a serious danger that if
children are allowed to eat too many sweet sticky foods—often as a substitute for a
cooked breakfast—all the efforts and expense devoted to the dental education of children
may be nullified.
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