Tobacco-control legislation under preparation: report

 BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A senior legislator said China's top legislature is actively¹ preparing to introduce more tobacco-control legislation, after a smoking ban in indoor public places seems ineffective, the People's Daily reported Friday.

China lacks specialized² laws on tobacco control which makes it hard to enforce the bans on smoking in public places, Han Qide, vice³ chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing⁴ Committee, said Thursday at a forum⁵ on smoking control, according to the report.

Special research teams have been sent to some developed countries to conduct surveys and acquire knowledge, Han said.

The Ministry⁶ of Health (MOH) issued regulations last year banning smoking in all enclosed public locations including hotels, restaurants and theaters.

But Han noted⁷ that the warning pictures on cigarette packs were not printed, or printed but not in an eye-catching way.

"Inadequate⁸ publicity⁹ leads to people's unawareness¹⁰ of smoking-related harm to health so that there is not a high public support to the smoking cessation measures," Han was quoted as saying.

The central government had promised a smoke-free public spaces by including a public smoking ban in its 12th Five-year Plan (2011-2015) last March.

Some believe the whopping taxes and profits created by China's tobacco industry also pose challenges for public smoking prohibition¹¹.

China is the largest tobacco-producing and -consuming country in the world, with more than 300 million smokers¹² and another 740 million people exposed to second-hand¹³ smoke, according to an MOH report released in May.

1 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

2 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

9 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

10 unawareness   

不知觉；不察觉；不意；不留神

参考例句：

• Perhaps that faculty of unawareness was what gave her eyes their transparency. 或许正是这种麻木不仁的本领，使她的眼睛透明见底。

11 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

12 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。

13 second-hand   

adj.用过的，旧的，二手的

参考例句：

• I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop.我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
• They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale.他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。