Serious health effects because of secondhand smoking (*).
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B1 to B2 / ** to ***)

The Royal College of Physicians (**)  published some research according to which too many children are suffering from the effects of secondhand smoke.
Indeed, parents are still not aware of the dangers of smoking in homes and cars with their children around. 

(*) secondhand smoking = the fact of inhaling involuntarily smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe - especially by a non-smoker.
(**) The Royal College of Physicians (= doctors) of London is a British professional institution of doctors of general medicine.  It was the first medical body in England to become a Royal College after receiving a royal charter in 1518 from King Henry VIII. 

You are going to watch a Sky News report focusing on the harm and damage smoking parents can cause to their children without realising it.


Before watching

TV health campaigns focus on the harm parents are causing to their children when they are at home or in their car. They do not actually realise the major dangers due to the invisible and odourless smoke.

Watch the next two campaign videos:

1. Smokefree cars

2. Smokefree homes

The following words could be useful:
to vanish into thin air: to disappear suddenly (in a mysterious way)    (se volatiliser / disparaître comme par enchantement)
to light up: to light (a cigarette)    (allumer une cigarette)
cot death: sudden and unexpected death of a baby while it is sleeping     (mort subite du nourrisson)
      cot = a small bed with high sides for a baby 
tar: a sticky substance that forms when tobacco burns and that gets into the lungs of smokers    (goudron)
to put a strain: to add difficulties on a system that has already too much to deal with    (mettre à rude épreuve)
benzene: a colourless, volatile, flammable toxic compound (C ₆  H ₆ ) mainly obtained from coal tar     (benzène)
dreadful: terrible   (horrible / abominable)
the NHS (National Health Service): the British system that provides free medical treatment for everyone and is paid for by taxes.

 

While watching

http://news.sky.com/story/1099020/smoking-parents-warned-of-damage-to-children

Answer the following questions (in French):

1. What do the following figures refer to?
    a) 70%
    b) 8%
    c) 800

2. When and why did Laura give up smoking?

3. What are the consequences of secondhand smoking?






When you are finished, check your answers!
1.
    a) 70%
Le pourcentage de parents fumeurs qui admettent allumer leurs cigarettes dans la voiture en présence de leurs enfants assis à l'arrière et qui croient que la fumée se volatilise facilement.

    b) 8%
Le pourcentage de produits chimiques (à savoir 4.000) présents dans la fumée mais invisibles et inodores et qui peuvent entraîner de graves conséquences pour la santé de l'enfant.

    c) 800
Le nombre d'enfants à se rendre quotidiennement chez le médecin à cause de problèmes de santé liés au tabagisme passif.
  
2.
Elle a arrêté à la naissance de son deuxième enfant.
Même si on fume à l'écart de ses enfants, on garde sur soi les odeurs de cigarettes (haleine, cheveux, vêtements) et les enfants les sentent ensuite!  

3. - Problèmes de santé chez les enfants et visites fréquentes chez le médecin; 800 s'y rendent quotidiennement;
- risques plus importants de développer des maladies graves: problèmes pulmonaires; méningite et même la mort (mort subite du nourrisson);
- coût élevé pour la sécurité sociale: 23,6 millions de livres sterling par an (dû aux visites fréquentes chez le médecin ou à l'hôpital d'enfants victimes du tabagisme passif) / Donc, le système de sécurité sociale, déjà mal en point, est davantage mis à rude épreuve!


Now watch this!
- If you smoke, stop immediately!
- If you don't smoke, never start!

Some consider the next anti-smoking campaign to be the best ever!