VOA常速英语2007年-Decline in US Adult Smoking Levels Off

By Melinda Smith
Washington
16 November 2007
 

For at least three decades, Americans have been encouraged to put down their cigarettes and quit the habit -- for at least one day [November 15th]. The Great American Smoke Out, as the day is called, is designed to raise awareness¹ about the health risks of smoking. VOA's Melinda Smith looks at where the anti-smoking campaign is now.

For seven years, the rate of smoking in the United States had declined. But for the second year in a row, that rate of decline has stalled. There is some good news however: there are now more former smokers² in the United States than there are current smokers.

But the story is not as good in some other parts of the world. Thomas Glynn, an international tobacco expert, says,  "We have more smokers in China than there are people in the United States. India is beginning to increase, although it's still fairly low. South Asia...Vietnam, Cambodia and so on...also have very high rates. Where we have an opportunity for prevention is in Africa.In Russia it's considered probably the leading cause [of death] because the life expectancy³ of men is actually going down."

There has been a lot said about the health hazards of smoking, but here it is again from an impeccable source: the World Health Organization says tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. That translates to about one in every ten adults and the WHO says if current rates continue, the number of deaths could double by the year 2020.

Glynn says health problems associated with smoking are already reaching crisis proportions in China. "Right now they have nearly one million lung cancer cases alone each year due to tobacco use, and in just 15 years, they're going to have two million cases a year. That will literally⁴ overwhelm their health care system."

So what is being done to help smokers stop before their health spins out of control? Nicotine⁵ replacement⁶ medications are readily available in the United States and many European countries. But those medications are not as widely available or affordable⁷ in Asia and Africa.

Glynn says nicotine is very addictive⁸, and can draw a person in as quickly as heroin⁹ or cocaine¹⁰. "It's a very fast acting¹¹ and very fast dropping drug -- meaning that you continually need more of it in order to keep the levels high and to keep the energy that you do feel from it."

Glynn and other health experts admit that the scary health message may not be getting through to some smokers. He recommends an additional argument, based on simple economics. Think how much a pack of cigarettes costs, he says, and how that money might be better spent on good health.

1 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

2 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

3 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

4 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

5 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

6 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 addictive   

adj.(吸毒等)使成瘾的，成为习惯的

参考例句：

• The problem with video game is that they're addictive.电子游戏机的问题在于它们会使人上瘾。
• Cigarettes are highly addictive.香烟很容易使人上瘾。

9 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

10 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。