Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
- flavored / ˈfleɪ vərd / (adj.) – having a particular taste
Example:The store sells a variety of flavored beers. They have apple, lemon, and melon beers.
- emission / ɪˈmɪʃ ən / (n.) – the sending out of something such as gas, heat, etc. into the air
Example:The increased emission of carbon dioxide is very harmful to our planet.
- nicotine / ˈnɪk əˌtin / (n.) – a poisonous chemical in tobacco that makes it hard for people to stop smoking cigarettes
Example:The average amount of nicotine in a cigarette stick is 12 milligrams.
- commissioner / kəˈmɪʃ ə nər / (n.) – a person in charge of a department or organization in the government
Example:The human rights commissioner issued a statement regarding the horrible crime last week.
- parliament / ˈpɑr lə mənt / (n.) – a group of politicians who make the laws for their country
Example:The Canadian parliament passed a new law on public housing.
Article
Read the text below.
The European Union’s executive branch proposed a ban on the sale of flavored heated tobacco products as part of its plan to fight cancer.
The European Commission said its proposal comes in response to a significant increase in the volume of such products sold across the 27-nation bloc.
A recent commission study showed a 10% increase in sales of heated tobacco products in more than five member nations, while heated tobacco products exceeded 2.5% of total sales of tobacco products overall across the region.
The ban would cover devices using heated tobacco to produce emissions containing nicotine inhaled by users. E-cigarettes may contain nicotine, but not tobacco. With traditional cigarettes, users inhale smoke from burning tobacco.
“With nine out of 10 lung cancers caused by tobacco, we want to make smoking as unattractive as possible to protect the health of our citizens and save lives,” said Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner for health and food safety.
According to EU figures, cancer is the second cause of death in the bloc of 450 million residents. There are about 1.3 million cancer deaths and 3.5 million new cases annually in the EU.
An estimated 40% of EU citizens will face cancer at some point in their lives, with the annual economic impact estimated at around 100 billion euros ($120 billion).
The European Commission previously said it wanted to ensure that less than 5% of the EU population uses tobacco by 2040.
The proposed ban now goes to member nations and European Parliament lawmakers for review.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
- Do you think a ban on the sale of flavored heated tobacco products will be effective in fighting cancer? Why or why not? Discuss.
- What kind of rule or policy would you propose on the use of tobacco and other similar products (ex. complete ban, limit the number of allowed purchases)? Why? Discuss.
Discussion B
- Why do you think governments continue to allow the production and sale of tobacco despite the health-related trade-off to its citizens? Discuss.
- Why do you think some people continue to smoke despite knowing its risks to their health? Discuss.