Burundians give up smoking thanks to herbal drugs

     BUJUMBURA, May 31(Xinhua) -- As the World No Tobacco Day is celebrated¹ on Tuesday, many Burundians feel happy that they have given up smoking thanks to herbal drugs.

    Evariste Ndikumwami, 55, residing in the Burundian capital Bujumbura, said he had been smoking for 30 years, but gave up smoking in January after taking herbal drugs prescribed by an abbot.

    "I had been smoking since my teenage and I gave up smoking in January (this year) after I took herbal drugs that I got from a Roman Catholic priest from Uganda working at Rugari parish in the province of Muyinga, some 210 km northeast of the Burundian capital Bujumbura," Ndikumwami told Xinhua.

    Ndikumwami said he used to smoke a pack of 20 cigarettes per day, adding that he had found it hard to give up smoking.

    He said, "I took the herbal drugs for 15 days. The abbot prescribed me two herbal drugs -- one to be smoked for five days at daytime when I desire to smoke and another one to be applied² around the nostrils³ at night."After the medication period, he never felt the desire for smoking cigarettes, he said.

    "When my friends realized I was no longer smoking, they asked me which drugs I took to give up smoking. I directed them to the abbot who had healed me and they also got cured and stopped smoking," Ndikumwami said.

    He said at least 100 out of 120 smokers⁴ who consulted the abbot since January gave up smoking.

    "The remaining 20 smokers failed to give up smoking because they didn't finish the prescribed dose," according to Ndikumwami.

    Alain Ndyakarika, 28, still smoking said he is to start taking the herbal drug late this week.

    "I'm prepared to start taking the drug on Friday. Its price is 10,000 Burundi francs (8 U.S. dollars) and I have been told it's efficient," Ndyakarika told Xinhua.

    He said he sometimes has breathing problems because he smokes almost a packet of cigarettes per day.

    Ndyakarika said, "Some people in addition fear me because I smell the smoke of a cigarette. I also use a lot of money on cigarettes while my salary is small."A packet of cigarettes approximately costs BiF 1,000 (almost 1 dollar).

    Burundi's PARCEM organization advocating change of mentalities⁵, in a press release, urged the Burundian government to set up a national strategy against tobacco, implement⁶ the convention on the fight against tobacco and forbid people from smoking in public.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

3 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

4 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。

5 mentalities   

n.心态( mentality的名词复数 )；思想方法；智力；智能

参考例句：

• Paterfamilias mentalities are important factors to affect childrens rehabilitation. 家长心理是影响聋儿康复效果的重要因素。 来自互联网
• All of us, genius included, think on the base of the mentalities are already known. 我们大家，包括的天才，在已经被知道的脑力的底上想。 来自互联网

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。