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42
HEALTH EDUCATION
I am indebted to the Health Education Officer, Miss Elliott,
for the following report.
"Soap and education are not as sudden as a massacre, but they
are more deadly in the long run."
Mark Twain.
Education as a basic approach to health work is now well
recognised and accepted. The National Health Service has brought
early diagnosis and treatment within the reach of every man,
woman and child; the aim of health education is to help people
to achieve health by their own actions and efforts and develop a
sense of responsibility for it as individuals and as members of
families and communities.
This is the first time a Health Education Officer has been
appointed in Croydon, and therefore some time was spent in
planning a scheme of work, preparing visual aids and acquiring
the necessary basic equipment. A gradual survey of personnel,
facilities and resources, both official and voluntary was also
made and co-operation and goodwill were freely given.
Before this appointment was taken up, School Medical
Officers had reported a definite increase in smoking amongst
older pupils in secondary Schools; this observation was reinforced
by a circular from the Ministry of Health to all Local
Authorities, drawing attention to the Medical Research Council's
report, which showed that the most reasonable interpretation of
the very great increase in deaths from lung cancer in males
during the past twenty-five years, is that a major part of it is
caused by smoking tobacco, particularly heavy cigarette smoking.
The Health Committee suggested that my first and primary duty
should be to inaugurate a campaign through parent-teachers'
associations, youth clubs and schools to advise "teenagers" of
the dangers involved in smoking.
After careful research a suitable talk for these groups was
devised. However, it became increasingly obvious that-with
the exception of two excellent posters, the supporting visual
material for this campaign was rather poor and too juvenile.
There is still no film or film-strip available for this subject,
so a series of sixteen coloured posters was designed and painted
to illustrate and enliven the talk. These were becoming worn
with constant use and "Camera Talks" were asked to photograph
them and make them into slides.