The number of smokers worldwide is increasing, say researchers.
Smoker numbers edge close to one billion (BBC News)
The BBC report includes a quote from Forest:
Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said: "We support campaigns that educate people about the health risks of smoking.
"However, many tobacco control policies involve excessive restrictions on where people can smoke and the deliberate stigmatisation of millions of consumers worldwide."
He added: "Tobacco is a legal product and consumers should be treated with respect, not vilified or forced to quit through extreme and often illiberal regulation."