Cambridgeshire Health Authority was formed in April this year. We live within its boundaries.

It is divided into seven Primary Health Care Groups ,East Cambridgeshire being one.

The East Cambs. Group is responsible for our health. A detailed and sobering report just issued by the Director of Public Health tells us what our health is and how to do something about improving it. The report is called "Everybody's Business" and I recommend it to you as interesting and thought-provoking reading. Copies from Fulbourn Hospital (01223 - 47500).

A few random facts derived from the report:

England 74.5 England 79.1

“Smoking tobacco is the single most important cause of preventable illness and early death". In Cambs. about one in seven deaths are accounted for by smoking related diseases.

In a 1998 Cambs. school survey 9.5% girls and 7.0% boys aged 12/13, and 28.5% girls and 22.0% boys aged 14/15 smoked at least one cigarette a week. Two out of three pupils said they would like to give up!

You can now understand why our local councils are so keen to stop the purchase of tobacco by under-age people.

The County drug team in 1998 found that three out of ten 14-16 year old pupils had used an illegal drug. Note, it will be a criminal offence to sell cigarette lighter refill canisters containing butane to anyone under 18 from 1st October.

I end this part of the article by noting that obesity has more than doubled in U.K. over the past ten years. Over half-the population is overweight and nearly one person in five is now classed as obese. Obesity is clearly not a safe condition. (Dr. Jebb of Medical Research Council). Children are not taking sufficient exercise. An inactive lifestyle and poor diet are risk factors for ill health.

As any of the local schools will emphasize, "give up smoking and eat more fruit and vegetables".