The World Health Organization urged governments Wednesday to do more to stop a looming epidemic of women's illnesses caused by increased smoking . It may be several decades before the full health impact is felt, but devastating health consequences are inevitable unless action is taken today. Countries should adopt a range of controls on advertising and smoking in public places, the WHO said. The WHO study said tobacco companies have aggressively marketed their products in poor countries to build up a new customer base. Tobacco companies have rejected the criticism in the study, saying smokers decide for themselves what strength of cigarette they want.
Smoking is a leisure activity and in a free society consumers decide for themselves.
Marc Fritsch, spokesman for tobacco giant Philip Morris, said the company did not wish to comment. WHO estimates that around 12 per cent of the world's women smoke compared with about 48 per cent of men . In some countries, however, the rate is as high as 24 per cent, said the agency. In the United States, women began to take up smoking in large numbers in the 1950s, it said. The results were fatal.