Tobacco use could kill a billion people this century unless governments act now to reduce smoking, the UN said yesterday.

In a strongly-worded report the World Health Organisation, the UN's public health arm, said no country was doing all it could to curb tobacco use, which is set to kill 500 million of the world's current population and a further 500 million over in the course of the century.

It called on all countries to adopt six measures to cut the numbers taking up smoking, especially young people and women, and to help smokers quit. Increasing taxes to 75% or more of the pack price would be the single most effective strategy, the WHO said. Raising taxes could also provide funds to counter tobacco industry marketing tactics.

The WHO's six measures are: monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, protecting people through smoking bans, offering help to quit, warning about the dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans on promotion, marketing and sponsorship, and raising taxes.

"While efforts to combat tobacco are gaining momentum, virtually every country needs to do more," said Dr Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO. Only 5% of people live in countries that fully implement any one of the six measures, the WHO said.

The big target for the tobacco industry is the developing world, according to the report, where the use of cigarettes and other forms of tobacco is growing fast. "As many as 100 million Chinese men currently under age 30 will die from tobacco use. In India about a quarter of deaths among middle-aged men are caused by smoking," the report said.