Nov 19, 2011

VOA Special English News 71


The British Medical Association has urged the government to ban smoking in private cars at all times to protect people from the risk of second-hand smoke. Britain already bans smoking in public vehicles such as buses and trains. There is no law against smoking in private cars. The government banned smoking in public places such as restaurants in 2007. That has avoided smoking bans for private areas. Some countries including Australia, Canada and parts of the United States have already banned smoking in cars when children are present. But no country has banned all smoking in private vehicles.


イギリスの医師会は、副流煙(セコンドハンドスモーキング)のリスクから人々を守るため、個人の車も全面禁煙するよう政府に求めている。イギリスでは、すでに公共交通機関では全面禁煙になっているが、個人の車を禁煙にする法律はない。イギリス政府は、2007年、レストランなどの公共的な場所を全面禁煙にしたが、個人的な場所は全面禁煙にはしなかった。オーストラリアやカナダ、アメリカの一部では、すでに、こどもが乗っている車では全面禁煙となっている。しかし、個人の車まで全面禁煙にしている国はまだない。

My thought/opinion on this issue
I do not smoke, so it is a good news. I had thought that Barak Obama was a smoker until now but I have learned he has recently given up smoking from the related news. Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda is a smoker. I wonder whether he try to give up smoking after hearing Obama's news, or not.

5 comments:

ジョン said...

smoking bans in private areas
--> smoking bans for private areas

protect people from risk
--> protect people from the risk

On one hand, part of me feels that the government is encroaching a bit too much upon the rights of people to smoke privately in an environment that doesn't affect anyone else. On the other hand, if this causes a significant decrease in smoking, it can both save lives and probably also save the country an enormous amount of money related to healthcare.

bikenglish said...

Jon-san,

I agree you. It has become more difficult for smokers to find a places to smoke.

ホアキン said...

Hi,Bikenglish

In Spain, so far we don't have smoking bans for private areas but just public ones...

Regarding the money related to healthcare that the government could save we should also think about the money related to tobbaco taxes they would loose... it's a pretty difficult matter, I guess.

Well, Bikenglish I can't assist you with your English since I'm Spanish hehe but who knows... maybe one day you start studying Spanish and I'll be there to help :) (this is for you too "hermano")

ジョン said...

Thanks for the additional info, mi hermano! Like you say, it's a complicated issue.

bikenglish said...

ホアキンさん

Thank you for posting your comment on my blog. I always welcome your comment.