Passive smoking is the main «environmental factor»

1. Tobacco smoke should be regarded as an environmental factor and as one of the most significant pollutants, which considerably affects human health. Smokers don’t only put themselves at risk of serious health problems – people around them can also be exposed to much potential danger. The smoke exhaled by someone else or emitted by the tip of a burning cigarette¹ is called environmental tobacco smoke.

2. Breathing of environmental tobacco smoke is known as passive smoking or second-hand smoke and is the biggest source of air pollution. Not only does it smell awful, the chemicals in passive smoking affect our health and can cause lung and heart disease. The smoke contains many chemicals that can stay in the body for a long time. Nevertheless, the second-hand smoke inhaled by non-smokers won’t affect the person as much as the smoker himself, but still has the potential to ruin health. Passive smoking, about which we often forget, is almost as dangerous as active smoking.

3. Environmental tobacco smoke is a major source of indoor air pollution. It exposes non-smokers to most of the same toxic gases, chemicals and fine particles that smokers inhale directly with tobacco smoke. The particles in the unfiltered smoke that drifts from burning cigarette tips can be finer and more concentrated, meaning that they can be inhaled deeper into the lungs and stay longer in the body of the passive smoker than in the person who is smoking. The concentration of some substances in the lateral stream may be many times higher than during active smoking. As is known, tobacco smoke contains about 40 carcinogens: heavy metals, including mercury and lead; formaldehydes; cyanides; phenols; and many other highly toxic substances. Obviously, the more time people spend in close company with smokers, the more they are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke and the worse the threat to their health. Naturally, this often means those most at risk are the people smokers care most about their loved ones and friends. Inhaling environmental tobacco smoke causes acute irritation in the upper and the lower airways of even healthy people. It can worsen the condition of those with existing breathing problems. Some of the immediate effects of passive smoking include eye irritation, headache, cough, sore throat, dizziness and nausea.

4. Even before it is born, a developing baby can be affected by environmental tobacco smoke if the mother smokes or if she is exposed to tobacco smoke during pregnancy. Many harmful substances can reach an unborn baby through its mother’s bloodstream and, after birth, through her breast milk. There is strong evidence that the babies of mothers who smoke after birth have more lung diseases in their first year of life and have double the normal risk of serious airway infections. Children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are 40% more likely to suffer from asthma symptoms than children who are not exposed.

5. Thus tobacco smoke is one of the most widespread and toxic factors of environmental pollution. Passive smokers according to the statistic take the third leading place at risk factor after active smoking and alcoholism. In our country the campaign to beat the cigarette habit has acquired a purposeful nature. Special legislative, medical and educational measures are being worked out. Instructions forbid smoking among schoolchildren. Lessons on the harm of smoking have been included in courses of the anatomy, physiology and hygiene, the sale of cigarettes to minors is prohibited. Warnings against the harm of smoking are printed on packets of cigarette brands.

Пояснения к тексту

1. the tip of a burning cigarette – конец горящей сигареты

2. рassive smoker- пассивный курильщик

Задание 1. Определите основную идею текста

The main idea of the text deals with ….

Варианты ответов:

а) the environment and its impact on man’s health;

b) tobacco smoke and its chemicals;

c) passive smoking or second-hand smoke and its impact on human body;

d) the problem of smoking in Russia;

Задание 2. Ответьте на вопросы в соответствии с содержанием текста:

a) What is environmental tobacco smoke?

b) What is the passive smoking or second-hand smoke?

c) How can a developing baby be affected by environmental tobacco smoke?

d) What place do the passive smokers take at risk factor?

e) What measures are taken against smoking?

Задание 3. Переведите 3-ий абзац текста, определяя в каждом предложении подлежащее и сказуемое.

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