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Smoking Ban

Smoking Ban English, baby! Video Lesson

Date: Oct 19 2007

Themes: Health

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

It’s been proven that secondhand smoke is almost as likely to cause health problems as lighting up yourself. People started to notice that waitresses and bartenders who work in a smoky environment for a long period of time were developing lung cancer, even if they didn’t smoke.

In order to protect the employees of businesses where you’re allowed to smoke, each state in the United States is slowly passing a ban on smoking in public places. In Washington it’s already illegal to smoke in a bar or restaurant and by 2009 it will be illegal to do so in Portland as well.

While nobody wants to give their bartender lung cancer, a lot of people are opposed to the smoking ban. They think it’s crazy. “No smoking in bars?” they say. “What’s next, no drinking?”

Watch Devan and Beren argue about the smoking ban.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Mason

Mason

Beren:  So…what do you think about the smoking ban?

Devan:  I think it’s awesome.

Beren:  That’s what everybody says. I think it’s okay. I’m not a heavy, heavy smoker. I usually only smoke if I’m out already and that’s good though because then if you’re trying to quit smoking, you know, you’ll be less inclined to go outside.

Devan:  I know the smokers are complaining, saying the bar scene is their scene, it’s their place to smoke inside, but when you don’t smoke and everyone you know hangs out at bars…And my health is constantly being jeopardized so that you guys can smoke, I don’t think that’s right. Plus, it sucks, I always reek of cigarettes. My clothes smell. My hair smells, and I don’t even smoke and that’s supposed to be the perk of not smoking. That and not having your health be in jeopardy, and both of those things are at risk when people can smoke inside. So I think it’s great.

Beren:  Eh, it’s alright. I don’t know. It could go either way. Even if I was not a smoker, smelling like smoke for a little bit is a small price to pay for a good evening. It’s rock ‘n’ roll.

Devan:  Why don’t you go stand outside.

Beren:  Cigarettes and liquor go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.

Devan:  You can drink and then you can go outside.

Beren:  Like 30 feet away from any entrance. I don’t know.

Mason:  You guys should fight.

 

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Discussion

Devan thinks the smoking ban is great. Beren says she thinks it’s okay. She smokes a little but not a lot and knows it will help people quit smoking, and that’s good.

Devan says she knows that a lot of people are against the ban because they think that bars are for smoking. But like the staff of those bars who don’t smoke, Devan doesn’t appreciate smelling like smoke and having to breathe unhealthy air in order to go out.

Beren thinks Devan shouldn’t complain since it only affects her when she goes out. Smoking makes a place seem more rock ‘n’ roll, and Beren thinks it’s worth it.

Devan and Beren continue to argue for a minute before Mason yells from off camera telling them to fight.

Do you smoke? Where are people allowed to smoke in your city?

 

Comments

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victor25

victor25

Moldova, Republic Of

Year by year in EU smoking ban is grasping more and more public areas such as bars and restaurants.

  I agree with the ban, but in order to satisfy all people there should be special bars for smokers and bars for non-smokers.  People can make choice by themselves. In Moldova we've got smoking and non-smoking bars and restaurants. It's up to you where to go and to have fun.

03:52 AM Oct 24 2007 |

weijunjiao

weijunjiao

China

I hate the smoking very much.

02:28 AM Oct 24 2007 |

sergito3005

Costa Rica

 i do not like  to smoke  because i consider it does not taste anything. i do not either understand the reasons younger population is getting into this trash. if goverment here in costa rica gets into effect the  smoking ban it would be much better to us .

01:31 AM Oct 24 2007 |

sergito3005

Costa Rica

it would be great if smoking ban gets into effect in my country costa rica .
because here every body can smoke everywhere and that is affect our health

01:26 AM Oct 24 2007 |

alcarbonah

Iraq

I don’t like smoking because the somking is harmful for the humen and the world .

06:39 PM Oct 23 2007 |

Lenaaa

Lenaaa

Russian Federation

Hi, i am not a hard smoker. Anyway, smoking or not, we don’t have any right to kill people just because we feel good smoking in a bar. Here in Russia we don’t have such a ban, and that’s pity. I agree with the ban.

10:15 AM Oct 23 2007 |

Elik

Elik

Azerbaijan

Although I know that smoking is dangerous for your health, but I do not how to explane that, I like it. Sometimes when I go for a walk with my frieds we are used to smoke.

10:08 AM Oct 23 2007 |

explorer143

Pakistan

damn on it.

09:56 AM Oct 23 2007 |

mishain

mishain

Taiwan

I don't smoke,too.

That smell of smoking,I fell very bad!

So taht,I hate people smoke inside without asking others.

It's very churlish.

03:09 AM Oct 23 2007 |

spoiled2

Chile

hi.

 smocking ban is great, smoking is such a nasty habit is horrible

02:42 AM Oct 23 2007 |

Tue

Viet Nam

Smoking isn't good for your health ,and sometimes it's expensive. Besides,smoking is dangerous not only for you but also to everybody near you.

05:17 PM Oct 22 2007 |

-xing-

-xing-

Indonesia

Smoke?? No way!

Smoking Ban, Yeah! i hope one day there is no smoke again in this earth. :)

05:14 PM Oct 22 2007 |

one_of_a_kind

Egypt

smoking is detrimental to health , money and environment
LET’S BAN IT

12:01 PM Oct 22 2007 |

one_of_a_kind

Egypt

smoking is detrimental to health , money and environment

LET'S BAN IT

12:00 PM Oct 22 2007 |

sunitha_sunitha

India

hi guys its awesome rule to be carried out

 

09:22 AM Oct 22 2007 |

OLeg Yakovlev

Ukraine

I neglect of smoking women. As to me – had broken to smoke two years ago (being smoking more 50 years before). As to "Smoking Dan" – it's useful, of course, but to win in this battle can a man (woman) itself only.

07:59 PM Oct 21 2007 |

OLeg Yakovlev

Ukraine

First of all I'm newcomer in English but hope everyone would understand me. I'd been smoking more then 50 years and finished it 2 years ago. Now I'm free of smoking and feel myself – exelently. Now  (with a smile) I can say – "To kiss smoking woman is the same to kiss the dirty ashplate"  Sure,  most clever women support me.

07:43 PM Oct 21 2007 |

Danirs

Danirs

Chile

I smoke, but not very often because I know it's unhealthy. I think the smoking ban is a really good idea. If people want to smoke and do something unhealthy for their bodies, they can do it, but they have to respect people who don't smoke. Non smokers shouldn't pay the price of the smoker's actions.

06:52 PM Oct 21 2007 |

kule sofat

Uganda

My name is Kule Muranga Sofat i stay in Western Uganda East Africa. Smoking has been a problem.

One to be healthy, He/she doesnt have to smoke.

Smoking Damages the Lungs and respiratory Organs

Adhare to smoke.

The only way to stop smoking is to stop before you start smoking

05:57 PM Oct 21 2007 |

Myafka

Myafka

Russian Federation

Smoking is dependence. There are so many inevitable dependences in our life…so it's not so clever to have one more by our own. Moreover  there is no sake for us in it…at all.  If somebody smokes it's his own affair, but my believe is smokers shouldn't forget about privacy of nonsmokers.

03:50 PM Oct 21 2007 |

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