VOA慢速英语2012 HEALTH REPORT - Tobacco Forces Still Strong（在线收听）

HEALTH REPORT - Tobacco Forces Still Strong

健康报道 - 烟草实力仍然强大 控制烟草任重道远

This is the VOA Special English HEALTH REPORT.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

This month, the Australian High Court ruled in support of a law that bars tobacco companies from putting their logos or colors on cigarette packages. The European Union is considering a similar ban. But a recent international study showed that some countries do little to control tobacco use. It found that the tobacco industry still has a strong influence on tobacco use around the world.

本月，澳大利亚高等法院裁定支持一项禁止烟草公司在香烟包装上印刷商标与颜色的法律（即烟草平装法）。欧盟也正在考虑类似的禁令。但最近的一项国际研究表明，一些国家在控制烟草使用上所做甚少。研究发现，烟草业对全球烟草使用仍然具有很强的影响力。

Study organizers examined information about three billion tobacco users worldwide. They looked closely at tobacco use in fourteen low- and middle-income countries. They compared this information with tobacco use in two developed countries – the United States and Britain.

该研究主办单位审查了全球约30亿烟民的信息。他们认真研究了14个中低收入国家的烟草使用情况，并将此信息与美国、英国这两个发达国家进行了对比。

Gary Giovino is with the University of Buffalo School of Public Health and Professions in New York State. He also was the lead researcher in the study.

Gary Giovino就职于纽约州立大学布法罗分校的公共卫生学院，他也是这项研究的首席研究员。

GARY GIOVINO: “Tobacco contributes an enormous burden to the health care system in developed countries, and that scenario will play out in the not-too-distant future in low- and middle-income countries. It already has in many countries -- in India, for example.”

他说：“烟草对发达国家的医疗体系造成了巨大的负担，这种情况不久也会在中低收入国家也会出现，而且这已经在很多国家出现，例如印度。”

The study found that China has three hundred million tobacco users -- more than any other country. India was second, with almost two hundred seventy-five million tobacco users. Dr. Giovino says the researchers found powerful pro-tobacco forces were active even in elementary schools.

研究发现中国有三亿烟民，比任何国家都多。印度以近2.75亿烟民位居第二。Giovino博士表示，研究人员甚至在小学中发现了强大的亲烟草势力。

GARY GIOVINO: “The China National Tobacco Company has supported elementary schools in China – dozens and dozens of them. And they use their support to promote propaganda about tobacco use, and they are basically telling students that genius comes from hard work and tobacco helps them to be successful. That to me is mind-boggling, that a government would tell its children to use tobacco to be successful when tobacco will addict them and shorten their lives.”

他说：“中国国家烟草公司赞助了许多国内的小学。他们利用这种赞助促进烟草使用的宣传，基本上他们会告诉学生，天才来自勤奋，烟草助其成功。这对我来说是令人难以置信的，政府竟然会告诉其儿童使用烟草来获取成功，而烟草会让他们上瘾并短命。

The study showed that governments and social traditions in many countries are open to influence from pro-tobacco forces. So the Australian court decision is considered important in supporting those fighting to control tobacco use. Jonathan Lieberman directs the McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer in Australia.

研究发现，许多国家的政府和社会传统对亲烟草势力的影响保持开放姿态。所以澳大利亚法院的裁定被认为在支持控制烟草使用的这些斗争中极其重要。乔纳森·利伯曼（Jonathan Lieberman）是澳大利亚麦凯布法律和癌症中心负责人。

JONATHAN LIEBERMAN: “It shows to everybody that the only way to deal with the tobacco industry’s claims, sabre rattling, legal threats, is to stare them down in court. It’s a fantastic decision for public health in Australia and globally.”

利伯曼：“这让大家看到，应对烟草行业的主张，张牙舞爪，法律威胁的唯一办法就是在法庭上震慑住它。这对澳大利亚和全球公共卫生来说是一个梦幻般的裁决。”

The study found that, unless urgent action is taken, about a billion people will die early in this century as a result of tobacco use. On average, each of them will lose fifteen years of life.

研究发现，除非采取紧急行动，否则本世纪该国会有大约10亿人因为吸烟早逝，平均而言每人会失去15年寿命。

And that’s the VOA Special English HEALTH REPORT. You can find a link to the tobacco study – and a video of Dr. Giovino explaining it – on our website, www.voanews.cn. I’m Steve Ember.

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Contributing: Vidushi Sinha