Asia is one of the largest tobacco markets in the world, but this week health officials meeting in New Delhi, India promised to do more to prevent tobacco use, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Voice of America reported Sept. 11 that WHO officials stressed that tobacco companies are aggressively marketing to half a billion Asian potential new smokers between the ages of 10 and 24. Many smokers in the region get addicted at a young age, sometimes even before their 10th birthday.

"We have ... good political support from all countries in the region, they are committed to tobacco control, despite the fact that even in the government, there is some opposition, but as a whole government is committed to tobacco control," said Khalil Rahman, the WHO's regional coordinator for tobacco control.

India plans to ban smoking in indoor public spaces, and the WHO would like to see other Asian countries follow suit. The international health body also is calling for a total ban on tobacco advertising and higher taxes on tobacco products. Bangladesh, Burma and Thailand have already raised their tobacco taxes significantly. 

"If you increase tax, you can earn more revenue from tobacco industry, and at the same time you can reduce consumption, and if consumption is reduced, you get less diseases and you spend less to treat those diseases," said Rahman.