( URGENT )Would you please clarify this sentence?

I want to translate this sentence into my own language, but I have difficulty understanding it. I really appreciate it if you would help me with it.

In Britain, for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. { The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death. }

why don't you use http://babelfish.altavista.com/. I know that such translation is not perfect but at least you can understant what is this sentence for. On the other side language is not to catch the words, you have to listen to it.

In Britain, for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. { The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death. }

{People FEEL LIKE something good is being done to reduce the number of smokers, when in fact the presence or absence of cigarette ads on TV has little real effect on the overall number of people who smoke.}