◎魏國金

Nearly one in three smokers worldwide lights up in China, where cigarettes—commonly given as gifts—are so tightly woven into the culture, some believe it’s an impossible habit to kick. But a new report suggests the keys to quitting lie in the country’s own backyard.

全球每3位癮君子中就有1人在中國燃菸吞雲吐霧，在中國，一般當作禮物餽贈的香菸是如此與文化緊密交織，有些人相信抽菸是不可能根除的習性。不過一份新的報告顯示，戒除的關鍵存在於這個國家的自家後院。

Hong Kong has successfully fought tobacco for two decades and seen its smoking rate drop from 23 percent in 1982 when the campaign began to 12 percent in 2008—the lowest in the world. Hong Kong hit cigarettes hard with taxes up to 300 percent, banned indoor smoking and promoted education—proving that smoking and Chinese culture aren’t necessarily married for life.

香港已成功對抗菸草20年，而其抽菸率從1982年反菸行動開始的23％掉到2008年的12％—為全球最低。香港以達300％的課稅、室內禁菸與推廣教育嚴厲反菸—證明抽菸與中國文化不必然終生密切結合。

About 30 percent of the world’s smokers live in China, a number roughly equal to the entire U.S. population. Within the next 15 years it will kill an estimated 2 million Chinese annually, the report published in The Lancet medical journal said. The country is home to both the world’s largest tobacco grower and cigarette producer.

全球約30％的癮君子住在中國，這個數字相當於美國總人口。這份發表在刺胳針醫學期刊的報告指出，未來15年內每年估計有200萬中國人死於菸害。這個國家是全球最大菸草栽種國與香菸生產國。

新聞辭典

light up︰片語，開始吸菸、喜形於色。例句︰Her face lighted up when she heard the good news.（她聽到這好消息時，面露喜色。）

kick︰動詞，戒除（惡習）。例句︰He finally kicked alcoholic.（他終於戒了酒。）

lie in︰片語，在於、待產。例句︰Normally, a woman will lie in a few hours before the birth of her child.（通常，婦女在分娩前將待產數小時。）

married︰形容詞，共有的、密切結合的。例如︰married responsibilities（共同擔負的責任。）