Tobacco companies are fighting efforts in the United States and Australia to make their products less appealing. In Washington, a federal judge last week blocked the Food and Drug Administration from requiring new warning labels on cigarette packs. Judge Richard Leon ruled in a case brought by five tobacco companies. The judge temporarily stopped a new federal rule which requires large new warnings starting next September. These include color images such as a dead body or diseased lungs. And simple text warnings now appear.
Congress called for color images showing the dangers of smoking, similar to what Canada does. But the tobacco companies say the new requirements approved in June violate (侵犯) their free speech rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
Judge Leon said the FDA could not require the new labels before a lawsuit (诉讼)against the government is decided. Some experts say the process could take years. The judge said he believed the cigarette makers were highly likely to win their case.
He said the images should be designed to appeal to emotions, rejecting government arguments that they should be purely factual. He accused the government of trying to use the labels to promote an “obvious anti-smoking agenda?”
The head of an anti-smoking group, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the decision “wrong on the science and wrong on the law”.
About one-fifth of American adults smoke. The World Health Organization says tobacco kills nearly six mil-lion people worldwide each year. More than six hundred thousand of them are non-smokers who breathe other people's tobacco smoke.
In Australia, tobacco companies want to stop what would be the world’s most restrictive laws on cigarette advertising. Cigarettes could be sold only in plain olive-green packages. Only the brand name and health warnings could appear. The Senate passed the bill last week and sent it back to the Lower House to approve minor amendments (修正). The law is to go into effect in December of next year.
Tobacco companies Say the legislation (法规) violates the Australian constitution. They say it would unjustly reduce the value of their brand names and trademarks. Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the government is ready for a legal fight.
72. What are the tobacco companies ii1 the United States and Australia fighting against?
A. The requirements to sell fewer products to the public.
B. The requirements to print new warning labels on their products.
C. The measures to make their products more attractive.
D. The ways to make the companies close their business.
73. What warning label on cigarette packs is being used in the United States?
A. An image of a dead body. B. An image of diseased lungs.
C. Text of health warnings. D. Text of advertisements.
74. Which country has adopted color images showing the dangers of smoking as warning labels?
A. America. B. Australia.
C. Canada. D. Britain.
75. In 2013, what will Australian cigarettes probably look like?
A. Plain olive-green packages only with health warnings.
B. Plain olive-green packages only with the brand name and health warnings.
C. Plain packages with the brand name and health warnings.
D. Plain packages with color images of a dead body or diseased lungs.