VOA慢速英语219 英美两国对电子烟看法迥然不同（在线收听）

Britain Supports E-Cigarettes, US Considers Ban

The United States and Britain have very different views on e-cigarettes.

美国和英国对电子烟的态度大不相同。 

American public health officials are warning of the dangers of vaping among young people. But, British officials consider electronic cigarettes to be a powerful tool for people trying to quit smoking.

一些美国公共卫生领域的工作人员警示年轻人吸电子烟的危害。不过，英国的一些工作人员认为电子烟是人们尝试戒烟的利器。

Britain’s Royal College of Physicians tells doctors to promote e-cigarettes "as widely as possible" for patients trying to give up cigarettes. And Public Health England says vaping is much less dangerous than smoking.

英国皇家医师学会告诉医生们“尽可能地”向试图戒烟的患者推广电子烟。而英国公共卫生部则认为，与吸真烟相比，吸电子烟的危害更小。

In the United States, hundreds of people who vape have been sickened by a mysterious lung illness. Many of them are teenagers.

在美国，数百名吸电子烟的人都患上了一种捉摸不透的肺部疾病。其中很多人都是青少年。 

In answer, the federal government and some states have recently taken steps to ban flavored e-cigarettes that appeal to young people.

作为响应，联邦政府和一些州最近采取了措施，禁止了味道备受年轻人喜爱的电子烟。 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that people consider not using e-cigarettes.

美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）现在推荐年轻人不要考虑吸电子烟。 

Dr. John Britton is director of the U.K. Center for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham. He said the U.S. reaction is complete madness. Dr. Britton added, The reality with smoking is, if you tell people to stop vaping, they will go back to tobacco and tobacco kills.

医生约翰·布里顿是英国研究中心的主任，该中心隶属于诺丁汉大学。布里顿表示，美国的反应太过疯狂了。布里顿补充说，关于吸烟，有个事实是——如果你告诉人们不要吸电子烟，那么他们就会重拾真烟，而真烟会致死。

The CDC said that the mysterious lung illness appears to be linked to THC vaping products. THC is a chemical compound that gives marijuana its high.

CDC认为，这种捉摸不透的肺部疾病似乎与吸电子烟的产物——四氢大麻酚（THC）——有关。THC是一种化合物，可以让大麻发挥最大功效。

The agency said many of the 800 people who got sick reported vaping THC. It said it still needed more information to know whether a single product, substance or brand is responsible. Some researchers have blamed an ingredient used in vaping oils, especially in black market products.

CDC认为，这800人中有很多患上这种肺部疾病的人都存在吸入THC的现象。CDC表示其仍需要更多信息才能知道哪种产物、物质或者哪类物质是致此疾病的罪魁祸首。一些研究人员认为是烟油里的一种原料导致了这种疾病，尤其是黑市烟品里用的原料。