Smoking is the best way to bad health. Today half the men and a quarter of
the women in the world smoke on the average.
Some people think that there is not much sense in refraining from smoking,
since the inhabitants of many cities and even villages breathe air contaminated
with industrial and automobile wastes. They are very wrong. Vehicle exhaust
gases are harmful in themselves, but a smoking driver is subjected to something
far more dangerous.
Take another example: according to WHO (World Health Organisation) figures,
the sick rate is higher among smoking workers of the heavy engineering,
chemical, ceramic, mining, building, cement and rubber industries.
The harm of tobacco smoke on women should be especially emphasized. In
particular, smoking may affect the course of pregnancy. Smoking women may bring
into the world crippled or abnormal children.
The evidence that exposure to other people's smoke is dangerous to health
is now incontrovertible. The exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious health
risk to non-smokers, increasing their chance of contracting lung cancer and
heart disease. The degree of risk depends on the extent and duration of
exposure. Particularlythere is a
high risk among workers in the hospitality industries (bar staff, casino
workers and other employees in workplaces where smoking is routine). It is
estimated that secondhand smoke causes one premature death a week.
In the past few years some measures have been taken to reduce smoking. There
has been a growing awareness of the dangers of smoking throughout the world.
The anti-smoking campaigns launched in a number of countries have brought about
extensive public censure of this harmful habit and a decrease in the number of
smokers among some groups of the population.
In our country the campaign to beat the cigarette habit has acquired a
purposeful nature. Special legislative, medical and educational measures are
being worked out.
Instructions forbid smoking among schoolchildren. Lessons on the harm of
smoking have been included in courses of the anatomy, physiology and hygiene,
the sale of cigarettes to minors is prohibited. Warnings against the harm of
smoking are printed on packets of cigarette brands.
The ministries of railways, civil aviation, merchant marine and culture
have worked out and now implement measures for regulating, limiting and
restricting smoking in long-distance and suburban trains, planes, on sea
vessels, in theatres, clubs, etc.
Questions:
1. How many
people do smoke in the world today?2. Why do people think that there is not
much sense in refraining from smoking?3. Why are they wrong?4. What are the
industries where the sick rate among smoking workers is higher?5. How may
smoking affect the course of pregnancy?6. Why is the exposure to secondhand
smoke a serious health risk to non-smokers?7. What does the degree of risk
depend on?8. Where is risk among workers exposed to secondhand smoking
particularly high?9. What measures have been taken to reduce smoking in the
past few years?10. What has been done to prevent smoking among schoolchildren?
Vocabulary:
health — здоров'я
half — половина, одна друга
quarter — чверть, четверта частина
on the average — в середньому
to refrain — стримуватися
inhabitant — мешканець
to breathe — дихати
to contaminate — бруднити, забруднювати
wastes — відходи
exhaust gas — відпрацьований (вихлопний) газ
harmful — шкідливий
to subject — піддавати (дії, впливу і т. п.; to)
according to — відповідно до,
rate — пропорція, відношення; коефіцієнт; міра;
відсоток, доля
heavy engineering — важке машинобудування
mining — вугільний
harm — шкода; збиток (in; to)
to emphasize — надавати особливе значення;
підкреслювати; акцентувати
in particular — особливо, зокрема
to affect — піддавати фізичній дії, тиску; шкодити,
завдавати збитку
pregnancy — вагітність
cripple — інвалід
abnormal — ненормальний, неправильний;
анормальний; відхилений від норми
