"The only two epidemics that are encountering a major increase in the next 20 years are the tobacco epidemic and the HIV/AIDS epidemics," said Douglas Bettcher, director of the World Health Organization's Tobacco Free Initiative.

WHO estimates that currently 5.4 million people die each year because of tobacco-related diseases, with 50 per cent of them in Asia.

"Tobacco is a defective product. It kills half of its customers," Bettcher added. "It kills 5.4 million people per year and half of those deaths are in developing countries. That's like one jumbo jet going down every hour," he said.

The announcement was made during an international conference hosted by the Thai government in Bangkok to draw up a masterplan for the world to kick the habit. WHO has demanded for better implementation of the international Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization.

Last year around 600 billion cigarettes were smuggled - 11 per cent of the world's consumption - according to the Framework Convention Alliance (FAC), which costs governments an estimated 40 to 50 million dollars in lost tax revenues last year.

Bettcher said that if governments will introduce more aggressive measures against smoking such as higher taxes, banning cigarette advertising and making offices and public places totally tobacco-free, the smoking rates could halve by 2050.