VOA常速英语2008年-WHO Calls for Action to Cut Tobacco-Related Dea

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
07 February 2008

The World Health Organization is calling for all countries to dramatically increase efforts to prevent premature¹ deaths from tobacco-related illnesses.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva.

The World Health Organization report finds only five percent of the world's population live in countries that fully² protect their residents from smoking hazards.  It says that governments around the world collect more than $200 billion in tobacco taxes every year, but spend less than one fifth of one percent of that money on tobacco control.

The director of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, Douglas Bettcher, tells VOA unless greater efforts are made to reduce tobacco consumption, the world is in for a public health crisis of immense proportions.

"It is estimated that up to 100 million lives were lost to tobacco-related deaths in the last century," he said. "And, if present trends continue, up to one billion lives could be lost in this century.  We are predicting that the current 5.4 million deaths due to tobacco consumption in this year will increase to eight million in 2030.  And, if those relentless³ trends continue, we can see a catastrophic toll⁴." 

The report says about 80 percent of the deaths are expected to occur in poor countries.  It warns that the shift of the tobacco epidemic⁵ to the developing world will lead to unprecedented⁶ levels of disease and early death in countries where healthcare services are least available. 

Dr. Bettcher says many lives can be saved if governments adopt tobacco control policies.   He says there is evidence the WHO six-point plan of action will reduce tobacco use and deaths if implemented⁷.  He says one of the most effective strategies is for governments to protect people from tobacco smoke.

"We have to globalize this new wave of banning smoke in all work places and public places," Dr. Bettcher said. "A halfway⁸ house is no good.  To protect lives, to save lives we have got to ban the way that Uruguay, U.K. and Ireland have done recently...  We must ban and we must enforce 100 percent advertising⁹, promotion¹⁰ and sponsorship ban.  Finally, one of the most cost-effective interventions¹¹ to reduce consumption is raising taxes on tobacco." 

Dr. Bettcher says it is also important to set up support groups to help smokers¹² quit.  He says four-fifths of all smokers want help, but in most cases, help is not available.

According to the report, nearly two thirds of the world's smokers live in 10 countries, with China accounting¹³ for nearly 30 percent and India for about 10 percent of all smokers.  Heavy tobacco use also occurs in Indonesia, Russia, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany, and Turkey.  

1 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

7 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

8 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

9 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

10 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

11 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

12 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。

13 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。