VOA标准英语2008年-WHO Calls for Complete Ban on Tobacco Advertisi

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
31 May 2008

The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging governments to ban all tobacco advertising¹.  The aim is to protect the world's youth from becoming addicted² to a product WHO says could cause one billion premature³ deaths this century.  The U.N. organization issued the call on World No Tobacco Day.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva.

The World Health Organization says recent studies prove the more young people are exposed to tobacco advertising, the more likely they are to start smoking and the less likely they are to quit.

Despite this, WHO officials say only five percent of the world's population is covered by comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion⁴ and sponsorship.

The Director of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, Dr. Douglas Bettcher, says that leaves 95 percent of the world's population exposed to the unbridled marketing⁵ activities of the tobacco industry.

"The tobacco industry continues to spread its deadly product as the vector of the tobacco epidemic," he said.  "The tobacco company spends tens of billions of dollars to market its products and tens of billions of dollars a year around the world to particularly develop and study and market to young people, especially in developing countries." 

The World Health Organization says most people start smoking before the age of 18, and almost a quarter of those before the age of 10.  Because of this, it says tobacco companies target young people by falsely linking the use of tobacco products with qualities such as glamour⁶, energy and sex appeal.

Dr. Bettcher says the tobacco industry markets its product in movies, on the Internet, in fashion magazines, music concerts and sports events to get young people hooked onto their product.

He says the industry has even converted young people into walking billboards⁷.   Wherever tobacco companies cannot advertise, he says they put their logo on boots, shirts and other personal items. 

He says young women and girls are particularly at risk of being targeted and ensnared by these aggressive marketing techniques. 

"We have recommended total advertising bans.  WHO recommends these because enforcement of a complete ban on advertising promotion and sponsorship will definitely reduce consumption," he added.  "Evidence shows that countries that put into place and enforce them and make sure that all the companies adhere to these bans, will enjoy a 16 percent drop in consumption over countries that do not impose such bans." 

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 5.4 million people a year die prematurely⁸ from tobacco-related illnesses, with 70 percent of these deaths in developing countries.  It expects this figure to rise to 8.3 million deaths by 2030.

And if current smoking trends continue, WHO warns up to one billion people could die from tobacco-related diseases this century.

1 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。

2 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

3 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。

4 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。

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

7 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

8 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句