Public Health Education Rant

As a teenager in the 80's, I lived through the outbreak of HIV/AIDS and all of the public health campaigns that followed. The sexual health of the nation was the number one priority (or so it seemed).

I have been following some Health related links today and spotted a worrying trend...

Experts fear soaring cancer rate
Hepatitis C action 'inadequate'
Liver disease drive not enough
Hepatitis C at 'epidemic levels'
Pupils helped to give up smoking
Pupils taking horse tranquilisers
Girls match boys in teen drinking
Drink and drug use high in teens
Fears over TB infection 'hotspot'
Sex disease cases increase
One in five 14-year-old girls 'has had sex'

Some of these links are old, but that illustrates my point.

TB is on the increase. HIV is on the increase. Sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase.

Meanwhile, our schoolkids are smoking, eating junk food, taking horse tranquilisers, getting pissed and taking drugs.

It's just not enough to pour money into the NHS and ask them to fix all of these problems.

Who is looking after the health education of the nation (particularly schoolkids)? Not bloody New Labour. This decline has happened on their watch.