CRI听力：Graphic Photos Can Serve as Warnings to Cigarette Smokers

Some countries have been printing photographs of the harmful physical affects of smoking on cigarette packs to try to get smokers to think twice before lighting up.

Belgium, for instance, prints photos of smoking-related diseases on cigarette packs sold there. Health experts in some of the countries say they believe the tactic has had some positive effect on persuading smokers to shun tobacco products.(www.hXen.com)

An article in the Xinhua Daily Telegraph said China should adopt a similar tactic to try to get smokers here to kick the habit. China's 350 million smokers account for one-third of the world's total.

Although messages such as "Smoking is harmful to your health" are clearly printed on cigarette packs sold in China, almost all smokers have gotten used to seeing them and usually ignore the warnings.

A survey conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in January revealed that 80 percent of 1,200 smokers said they believed printed warnings about smoking were not effective enough.

The article suggests that more graphic photos showing smokers' loose and brown teeth, blackened lungs and skull-and-crossbones signs be printed on cigarette packs as a new measure to try to persuade smokers to give up cigarettes and live healthier lives.