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138
Health Education in Schools
All schools were advised of the type of lectures and visits we
could give at the beginning of this year. Our work showed some
improvement in this field; mothercraft lectures were extended to two
further schools. Visits to infant welfare centres, and to the block of
flats for elderly physically handicapped persons proved popular. We
endeavoured, at the Infants Welfare Centres, to gather the group
together and discuss "Home Safety" and local authority services
available for the community. At the block of flats children were
encouraged to visit the elderly provided they had their parents'
permission.
International Youth Camp
One health visitor attended this camp to act as resident nurse.
Of all the nationalities gathered together the English children headed
the list in their demands for "pills and potions". It would be
interesting to know if her colleagues attending the camp found this
also to be a fact."
Health Education in Schools. — Dr. D. J. Gordon-Smith and Dr. G. B.
Taylor, School Medical Officers, have been carrying out Health Education
in Schools and the following reports will be of interest: —
Smoking and Health
Dr. G. B. Taylor, School Medical Officer, reports as follows:-
"My last report was devoted to a survey among the Ilford
population on the effectiveness of health education and its prevention
of smoking. The results of that survey showed that most people, in
spite of accepting the evidence of cigarette smoking producing
cancer of the lung, were unable to stop smoking.
In the light of this, there is not much use in continuing health
education for confirmed smokers, and the salient feature which arose
from this survey was that smoking was an addiction and that medical
means should be used to overcome this addiction. This meant the
creation of smokers' clinics, but so far this has not been done.
There is little purpose in spending any more time on the
smoking population, and it seems that future emphasis must be placed