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"I hope many people will come to see or hear of this exhibition and will be
shocked into taking some action to safeguard themselves and their households . . .
The much loved British open coal fire is a serious danger spot in our homes.
For one thing, it is not practicable to fit a permanent fireguard and, what is more
difficult to combat, there is reluctance to use fireguards at all—safety is sacrificed to
convenience, or ' cosiness', or merely to forgetfulness in putting this in position.
A guard is not simply something to put around the fire when the house is unoccupied.
It should be in position whenever there are people about, particularly
when the room is being used by children or old people. Every home which has an
open coal fire should have a fireguard ; and it should be in use, not gathering dust
in the cupboard under the stairs ... in the last resort it rests with the individual to
take those precautions on which the safety of himself and those for whom he is
responsible may depend."
A number of inquiries were received from local authorities who wished to borrow
the exhibition for use in their areas.
Cancer The Council's leaflet ' A Guide to your Healthwhich gave prominence to the
causal connection between cigarette smoking and lung cancer and had, for some time,
been distributed to school-leavers from the London schools, attracted some attention
on the part of other authorities. As a result, in January, permission was given to the
Central Council for Health Education to reproduce it from the original blocks and to
make it widely available.
Notes on the prevalence of lung cancer were prepared and circulated to divisional
medical officers for use by their staff, who were asked to take every opportunity of
health education in this field and to give every help to parents and teachers who might
wish for it. In reply to Ministry of Health Circular 17/58 which asked for a report of
the action taken since the receipt of Circular 7/58 in the previous year, the Minister
was informed that it was the Council's opinion that a firmer lead must be received from
the Government. This lead might take the form of:
(a) Alerting of leaders to the problem and the effect of personal examples. An
approach might be made to leaders of industry, the services, doctors, teachers,
youth leaders, etc. through their professional bodies to call attention to their responsibilities
in the matter.
(b) An entry into the advertising sphere, by way of broadcasting, to give a
nationwide lead to the need for a reduction in the consumption of tobacco.
(b) Financial help to local authorities through the media of the press as in the
similar field of diphtheria immunisation.
(d) Governmental research into the possibility of production of' clean ' tobacco.
A suggestion was made that the Council should campaign publicly against smoking
in places of public entertainment. As smoking is a social habit the modification of
which will undoubtedly be a slow process, until public opinion generally is more
strongly opposed to it, direct propaganda in relation to places of entertainment seems
unlikely to be effective and would undoubtedly antagonise commercial interests. To
attempt direct prohibition might be equally objectionable, as it would be regarded by
the entertainment industry and public alike as restrictive, and it cannot be argued that
tobacco smoking constitutes cancer risk other than to the smoker. The fire risk was not
regarded as sufficient to justify a prohibition.
Staff Seventy-four entries were received for the third competition for health education
competition designed by staff. These entries fell into two classes and prizes were awarded as
follows to exhibits: posters: first—Division 4; second—Division 2; third—Divisions 9
and 3 ; three dimensional teaching aids: first—Division 8; second—(two of equal merit)
Divisions 8 and 5. In addition seven entries from staff at Divisions 5, 6, 7, 8 and the
County Hall were commended.
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