2007年VOA标准英语-Study Claims Tobacco Industry Manipulated Nicot

By Melinda Smith
Washington, DC
22 January 2007
 
watch Nicotine¹ Potency² report

 
The U.S. tobacco industry is under fire again from health experts who claim manufacturers boosted levels of nicotine in cigarettes over a seven-year period.  Details of a new study by the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Here are the grim statistics: Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world.  The World Health Organization says tobacco is responsible for the deaths of one out of every ten adults.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control also says cigarette smoking is the leading 'preventable' cause of death in the United States.  But many other Americans have taken the anti-smoking message to heart.  Recent figures show that cigarette sales in the U.S. have dropped to their lowest levels in half a century.

Almost a decade ago a group of American tobacco manufacturers signed an agreement with a number of U.S. states to help pay for the cost of smoking-related illnesses.   As a result of that agreement, the state of Massachusetts required the industry to furnish yearly reports of the nicotine content of its cigarettes.

 
Greg Connolly
Now health experts say the yearly reports…from 1997 to 2005 confirm a slow but steady increase in the nicotine potency of each cigarette.  One of the study's authors, Greg Connolly, says the increase in nicotine and modified design intentionally³ boosts the number of puffs⁴ per cigarette. "In fact, the tobacco industry does control nicotine to cause and maintain addiction⁵ among smokers⁷."

An 11 percent increase in nicotine levels from 1998 to 2005 was found in all major brands manufactured by R. J. Reynolds, Brown and Williamson, Lorillard and Philip Morris.  The cigarette manufacturers dispute the findings.

Philip Morris blames the nicotine increases on the 'natural variability of tobacco crops' as well as errors in the testing methods.

Study author Connolly and Matt Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids are both skeptical⁸: Connolly says, "The chance of that occurring was one in a thousand." And Myers adds, "A cigarette is a highly sophisticated manufactured product with every component⁹ carefully measured, carefully calculated and the tobacco industry monitors every single batch¹⁰ of cigarettes that come off the assembly line."

It turns out that hiking nicotine levels in cigarettes is not illegal under U.S. law. Cigarette production is not under the jurisdiction¹¹ of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Matt Myers says that's contrary to everything else the F.D.A. regulates. "If the manufacturer of dog food changes what's in that product, it has to tell the Food and Drug Administration.  It is appalling¹² that the product that kills more Americans than any other product is also the least regulated product in this nation."

Since the 1998 tobacco agreement, the U.S. cigarette makers¹³ have spent millions of dollars to pay for public service announcements that warn of the health risks associated with smoking.  Philip Morris says it would support greater supervision¹⁴ of the industry.

Yet one smoker⁶ has a strong distaste for the motives¹⁵ of those who feed his addiction and says, "I think they are leeches¹⁶ on society…and I still smoke."

1 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

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。
• 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。

2 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

3 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

4 puffs   

n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• We sat exchanging puffs from that wild pipe of his. 我们坐在那里，轮番抽着他那支野里野气的烟斗。 来自辞典例句
• Puffs of steam and smoke came from the engine. 一股股蒸汽和烟雾从那火车头里冒出来。 来自辞典例句

5 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

6 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。

7 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。

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

10 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

11 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

12 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

13 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

15 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

16 leeches   

n.水蛭( leech的名词复数 )；蚂蟥；榨取他人脂膏者；医生

参考例句：

• The usurers are leeches;they have drained us dry. 高利贷者是吸血鬼，他们吸干了我们的血汗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Does it run in the genes to live as leeches? 你们家是不是遗传的，都以欺压别人为生？ 来自电影对白