Tobacco(1) companies are fighting efforts(2) in the United States and Australia to make their products less appealing(3). In Washington, a federal judge(4) recently blocked the Food and Drug Administration from requiring(5) new warning labels(6) on cigarette packs(7).
Judge Richard Leon ruled(8) in a case brought(9) by five tobacco companies. The judge temporarily(10) stopped a new federal rule to require large new warnings starting next September.
These include color images such as(11) a dead(12) body or diseased(13) lungs(14). Simple text warnings now appear. Congress called for color images showing the dangers of smoking(15), similar(16) to what Canada does.
But the tobacco companies say the new requirements(17) approved in June violate their free speech(18) rights (19) guaranteed by(20) the Constitution.
Judge Leon said the FDA could not require the new labels before a lawsuit(21) against(22) the government is decided. Some experts(23) say the process could take(24) years.
The judge said he believes the cigarette makers(25) are highly(26) likely(27) to win(28) their case. He says the images are designed(29) to appeal to emotion, rejecting government arguments that they are purely factual.
He accused the government of trying to use the labels to promote(31) an “obvious anti-smoking agenda!” The head(32) of an anti-smoking group, the Campaign(33) for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the decision “wrong(34) on the science and wrong on the law(35).”
About(36) one-fifth(37) of American adults are smokers(38). The World Health Organization says tobacco kills(39) nearly(40) six million people worldwide(41) each year. More than six hundred thousand of them are non-smokers who breathe(42) other people’s tobacco smoke(43).
In Australia, tobacco companies want to stop what would be(44) the world’s most restrictive laws on cigarette advertising(45). Cigarettes could be sold(46) only in plain(47) olive-green packages. Only the brand(48) name and health(49) warnings could appear.
The new rule is to go into effect(50) in December of twenty twelve. Tobacco companies say the measure(51) violates the Australian constitution. They say it would unjustly reduce(52) the value of their brand names and trademarks(53).
Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government is ready for(54) a legal fight. She says the new rule will be a big win(55) for families who have lost(56) a loved one(57) to tobacco-related(58) illness(59).” For VOA Special English, I’m Carolyn Presutti.
Vocabulary
- Tobacco = fumo
- fighting efforts = combatendo esforços
- less appealing = menos atraente
- judge = juiz
- requiring = exigir
- warning labels = etiquetas de alerta
- cigarette packs = maços de cigarros
- ruled = ordenou
- brought = trazido
11. such as = tais como
12. dead = morto
13. diseased = doentio
14. lungs = pulmões
15. dangers of smoking = perigos de fumar
16. similar = semelhante
17. requirements = exigencias
18. free speech = liberdade de expressão
19. rights = direitos
20. guaranteed by = garantido pela
21. lawsuit = projeto
22. against = contra
23. experts = especialistas
24. could take = poderia levar
25. makers = fabricantes
26. highly = altamente
27. likely = provável
28. win = vencer
29. designed = projetado(a)
30. purely factual = meramente factual
31. promote = promover
32. head = líder
33. Campaign = campanha
34. Wrong = errado
35. Law = lei
36. About = aproximadamente
37. one-fifth = um quinto
38. smokers = fumantes
39. kills = mata
40. nearly = quase
41. worldwide = mundialmente
42. breathe = respirar
43. smoke = fumaça
44. what would be = o que seria
45. advertising = propaganda
46. could be sold = poderiam ser vendidos
47. plain = liso
48. brand = marca
49. health = saúde
50. is to go into effect = está para entrar em vigor
51. measure = medida
52. unjustly reduce = reduzir injustamente
53. trademarks = marca
54. ready for = pronto para
55. big win = grande conquista
56. lost = perderam
57. a loved one = uma pessoa amada
58. tobacco-related = relacionado(a) ao fumo
59. illness = doença