EXPERTS have called for a "turbocharged" global campaign that could lead to a tobacco-free world by 2040.

They warn that despite the decline of smoking in the developed world, tobacco use is expected to increase in some countries over the next decade, notably in Africa and the Middle East.

With global population rising, there could still be more than a billion people smoking in 2025 unless urgent action is taken, it is claimed.

The call to arms in the fight against smoking comes in a series of articles published in the Lancet medical journal and will be launched at the World Conference on Tobacco and Health being held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Professor Anna Gilmore, another of the authors from the University of Bath, said: "Contrary to industry claims, tobacco marketing deliberately targets women and young people.

"The tobacco industry continues to interfere with governments' efforts to implement effective tobacco control policies. If the world is to become tobacco free, it's vital that the industry's appalling conduct receives far closer scrutiny and countries which stand up to the industry's bullying tactics receive better global support."