GENEVA -- A U.N. health agency now says even more will die because they smoke.
The World Health Organization has raised its estimate of smoking-related deaths by 900,000 a year, to 4.9 million. It also says its projection of 10 million deaths a year by 2030 was too low.
A WHO official said the new figure reflects research on the role of tobacco in tuberculosis and heart deaths in China and India. The agency said smoking is surging in the developing world.
The agency said tobacco companies are targeting developing nations to make up for stagnating sales in North America and Europe.
The WHO issued the figures ahead of talks in Geneva next week on an international antitobacco treaty, which, if signed, would clamp down on ads, secondhand smoking and smuggling.
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