Through a combination of anti-smoking measures, including higher taxes on tobacco products, public smoking bans and the elimination of tobacco advertisements, millions of early deaths around the world could be prevented, researchers suggest.

Between 2007 and 2010, Turkey, Romania and 39 other countries all took similar measures. An independent study conducted by the World Health Organization showed that those measures are already saving lives.

Professor David Levy of the Georgetown University Medical Center and the study’s lead author was quoted in the World Health Organization’s monthly bulletin as saying, “If the progress attained by these countries were extended globally, tens of millions of smoking related deaths could be averted.” He also said that the wider use of tobacco control policies could lower health costs and increase birth weights for babies.

The new study reveals that tobacco control measures introduced in 41 countries are on track to convince an estimated 15 million people not to smoke. Those numbers mean about 7.4 million tobacco-related deaths could be prevented by 2050. Pakistan, Argentina and Italy are all included in those estimates.

Researchers found that the most effective way to prevent tobacco-related deaths is to increase taxes and ban smoking in most public places. A tax increase could prevent about 3.5 million tobacco-related deaths, while a public smoking ban could prevent an additional 2.5 millions deaths.

During an interview with Reuters, Dr. Douglas Bettcher, director of the World Health Organization’s department of noncommunicable diseases, said, “If anything it is an underestimate.” He also went on to say, “It is a win win situation for health and finance ministries to generate revenues that have a major impact on improving health and productivity.”

The steps taken in Turkey led to a decrease in smoking among men. In 2008, 47. 9 percent of the male population in the country used tobacco products. As of 2012, that number has dropped to 41.5 percent, said Dr. Bettcher.

According to the World Health Organization, about 6 million people die every year from tobacco-related causes. That number is expected to hit 8 million by 2030.

WHO is currently waging war on “Big Tobacco”. In 2005 their Framework Convention on Tobacco Control came into force and it contains measures for curbing tobacco use. Around 175 countries have ratified the pact, but others have shunned it, including Switzerland, Indonesia and the United States. Each of these countries is home to large tobacco companies.

The measures included in the pact are the raising of taxes on tobacco products to 75 percent of the final retail cost, smoke free air policies, warnings placed on cigarette packaging, advertising and promotion bans, and the offering of programs to help people quit smoking.

Dr. Edouard Tursan d’Espaignet from the WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative told Reuters, “We know that in many poor countries, the poor spend a lot of money on tobacco. They would be able to use it for nutrition and education which is a huge opportunity cost.”