Healthy schools

European Commission Directorate-General For The Information Society And Media Directorate-General For Employment Social Affairs And Inclusion

Description

Proceedings of the first European conference on health promotion and the prevention of cancer in schools, Dublin, 7-9 February 1990
Health policy
Education policy

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INFORMATION-SOCIETY-AND-MEDIA-DI
• Nombre de lectures: 59
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

Commission of the European Communities
medicine
Healthy schools
Proceedings of the first European conference on
health promotion
and the prevention of cancer in schools
Dublin, 7 to 9 February 1990 ^s
Commission of the European Communities
Healthy schools
Proceedings of the first European conference on
health promotion
and the prevention of cancer in schools
Dublin, 7 to 9 February 1990
Edited by
1 1 2
R. Malbois , D. Sweet , T. Williams
1 Commission of the European Communities
Rue de la Loi 200
B­1049 Brussels
2
University of Southampton
Southampton S09 5NH
United Kingdom
nPA L. E'Jf ¡0?. Bb ioth.
N.C./
CL /
Directorate­General
Employment, Industrial Relationsand
1990
/yvvj> ­f S 5 τ3 Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation
L-2920 Luxembourg
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting on
behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the
following information
This publication is also available in the following languages:
ES ISBN 92-826-1880-3
DA ISBN 92-826-1881-1
DE ISBN 92-826-1882-X
GR ISBN 92-826-1883-8
FR ISBN 92-826-1885-4
IT ISBN 92-826-1886-2
NLN 92-826-1887-0
PT ISBN 92-826-1888-9
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1990
ISBN 92-826-1884-6 Catalogue number: CD-NA-13017-EN-C
© ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1990
Printed in Belgium WELCOME ADDRESSES AND OPENING SPEECH
III — WELCOME ADDRESSES
Health education and teacher training receive a high priority in the "Europe Against Cancer" programme. Health education
is a subject that goes beyond the normal confínes of syllabus and textbook into action and implementation. The main aim
is not to teach biological details on cancer and its treatment. It is rather to encourage the adoption of the healthy lifestyles
exemplified by the "European Code Against Cancer". A Conference such as this is all the more necessary to enable the
most effective and acceptable approaches to be identified and used.
The Europe Against Cancer programme has completed its first Action plan and received the commendation of the
European Council at Strasbourg last December. It is entirely fitting tha t one of the first actions of the second phase of the
programme should be this major conference on "Health Education and Cancer prevention in Schools". The European
Commission looks forward to the results of your Conference, and to contributing to their implementation.
Mrs Papandreou,
Member of the Commission of the European Communities
It gives us great pleasure to welcome all the participants in this important conference to Ireland. This major conference
has arisen from the "European Year ofinformation on Cancer". Much of this disease arises from our lifestyle and therefore
there are important implications for those of us concerned with education.
As Ministers for Education and Health in Ireland we have been happy to make arrangements for health promoting measures
between agencies and schools. In 1989 we have been particularly pleased to arrange the distribution of the European Code
on Cancer to every teacher in Ireland and to have launched a series of seminars on the theme of Cancer Prevention
Education.
As Ministers for Education and Health in Ireland and in the context of our role in the Council of Ministers we look forward
to careful study of the recommendations from the conference.
We wish you a fruitful and enjoyable stay in Dublin.
Mary O'Rourke T.D. Rory O'Hanlon T.D.
Minister for Education Minister of Health
— V — OPENING SPEECH
Rory O'Hanlon
Irish Minister of Health
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Dublin and to this very important conference on Health Education and Cancer
Prevention in schools. The Minister for Education and myself were particularly pleased to be able to respond positively to
the invitation from Commissioner Papandreou to host this Conference in Ireland during Ireland's Presidency of the
European Community.
You will already be aware that I have suggested a theme of YOUTH AND POSITIVE HEALTH for the Irish Presidency
and the subject matter of this Conference is, I feel, particularly appropriate in this context. I believe that it is of primary
importance that I, and my colleagues in the Community, as Health Ministers have regard to the special problems of our
young people and to their vulnerability in the areas of tobacco and alcohol consumption and their associated risks.
We know from an opinion survey carried out in the twelve Member States among primary and secondary school teachers
that many teachers are very well informed about the European Code Against Cancer and that they are also willing to play
an active role in informing their pupils. I hope that this conference will be of support to existing efforts and stimulate further
initiatives.
It is particularly gratifying to note that in the Community Irish teachers are setting a very positive example in the area of
smoking with 86% being non-smokers. Cigarette smoking accounts for 5,000 deaths in Ireland each year and effective
education programmes for young people are one way of combatting this problem. We need to consider ways of improving
awareness among our young people and of promoting positive lifestyles at the same time as building the necessary
safeguards into our national and EC legislation. It is my intention, therefore, to take the conclusions of your work here over
the next three days to the Council of Health Ministers, over which I will be presiding, for their endorsement and hopefully
for inclusion in the Community's future Cancer Prevention strategies.
We are extremely fortunate to have with us during these 3 days prominent experts from all over Europe who will be
discussing many aspects of cancer prevention strategies aimed at young people.
I am pleased to note that the conference programme is comprehensive and imaginative in that in addition to considering
what would be regarded as the usual topics in relation to cancer, such as smoking, there is also scope to examine the impact
of alcohol, diet and environmental influences on cancers.
I note that the conference programme is creatively planned giving participants opportunities to discuss amongst themselves
the implications of the information they receive in the many paper presentations. I note that these working groups give
participants ideal opportunities to share with others who have particular areas of expertise similar to their own. These
working groups will be paying particular attention to the areas of Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Teacher Training.
I am sure that a great deal of information will be exchanged in the course of the next few days but when it comes to prevention
we know that strategies, other than information giving alone are required so that people can take steps which lead to changes
in their behaviour. You will I am sure be hearing about many exciting different strategies which have been tried in many
countries over the next few days.
Governments can of course facilitate this process by creating, through legislation, an environment which makes the healthy
choice the more accessible one for the individual.
— VII — In Ireland we have introduced wide ranging legislation in the area of smoking and have, I am pleased to say, gained a
reputation as European Leaders in this field and I will shortly be introducing further regulations restricting smoking in
public places.
At E.C. level much progress has also been made and I regard the draft direct on the advertising of tobacco products as one
of the most important items to be progressed by the Council of Ministers during my Presidency.
There is no doubt that the exchange of information concerning national strategies, the recording of data and documentation
which has been done so far will be particularly useful for all concerned.
I look forward with great interest to your recommendations and I wish you all a very enjoyable stay in Dublin and a successful
and productive first European Conference on Health Education and Cancer Prevention in Schools.
— VIII —