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cancer the Members of the Health Committee agreed unanimously to ban smoking at their
meetings and several councillors have set a praiseworthy example by giving up cigarette
smoking altogether. Much of our Health Education effort this year has been directed towards
schools and youth clubs because the best way to stop smoking is not to start.
Another target for the Community Physician is the rapid spread of venereal disease.
Although caused by transmissible germs these diseases are, for all practical purposes,
acquired only by sexual intercourse with an infected person and their control calls for
co-ordinated efforts on the part of the Community Physician, Health Education Officers,
Health Visitors and the Liaison Officers of V.D. departments at designated hospitals,
Because of the need to ensure strict secrecy venereal diseases are not notified
individually but the total of new cases among Waltham Forest residents reported positive by
hospital clinics serving this region of London during the last two years were:-
1970 1,162 new cases
1971 1,566 new cases
This shows an increase of over one third (34.76%) but does not imply the problem is peculiar
to Waltham Forest since the total new cases attending these hospitals were: for 1970 — 41,873
cases; increasing by 14,157 to 56,030 in 1971, again a rise of approximately 34%.
Control of sexually transmitted disease depends upon successful contact tracing, a
task calling for great tact and persuasion to obtain the co-operation of the patient, the source
case and all the other contacts of the latter. This is primarily carried out by the liaison
officer at the hospital clinic but in Waltham Forest two senior Health Visitors with these
qualities and appropriate experience have been nominated to help in establishing contact
with persons in the Borough who may be infected. Posters designed by the Health Education
Officer and showing times, addresses and telephone numbers of the nearest "special clinics"
are appropriately displayed. Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to sexually
transmitted disease but are unwilling to approach their family doctor (as they ought to do) can
obtain advice by telephoning 928— 3401 at any time day or night. This special confidential
service is provided in conjunction with the Borough of Westminster and callers are not asked
to identify themselves.
Almost equally dangerous but fortunately on a much smaller scale is the misuse of
drugs by young people. Here again is a social disease which is contagious in the sense that
it is spread by contact in pubs, youth clubs and coffee bars wherever young people congregate.
But unlike the infectious diseases of the past it cannot, any more than could smoker's cancer
or venereal disease, be eliminated by inoculation, isolation or sanitary engineering. These
modern plagues call for an attack on a broad front enlisting the aid of all the agencies which
exist to help young people. Threats and prohibitions just do not work on the emancipated (or
could one say undisciplined) youth of today and if they are to be steered away from sexual
promiscuity, venereal disease, drug dependence and the fatal habit of cigarette smoking, it
is not enough to tell them that life holds better things. We must ensure that it does and that
they are freely available to those most in need. Central Government, through projects like
the Lee Valley Regional Park, and Local Authorities through their Education, Youth Service,
Recreation and Leisure provisions, as well as by their support of voluntary associations, can
exert a very great influence on the activities and communal life of young people and
consequently upon their behaviour.
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