Following a US court's decision to hit cigarette giant Philip Morris with a $2 billion damages bill, UK doctors have called on tobacco companies to foot Britain's bill for "smoking related illness".

Six out of 10 doctors responding to a BMA News "Doctor decides" survey believe "the tobacco industry should bear the cost of treating people who suffer from smoking-related illnesses".

The government estimates the cost of smoking to be in excess of £1.5 billion a year.

Around 80 per cent of lung cancers and up to one quarter of heart disease can be blamed on tobacco.

"There is no other situation where a legal company can inflict huge damage on the population for sheer profit and then be allowed to stand by and watch the NHS be swamped in its attempts to repair that damage," said Somerset GP Donal Hynes.

Nine out of 10 doctors surveyed implicated advertising as a factor in encouraging young people to smoke.

But only half believe shock new euro-health warnings on cigarette packets - including colour pictures - will stop people from smoking.

"We now know the harmful effects of tobacco and although we cannot ban its sale, any company that promotes sales of tobacco should bear the cost of smoking-related disease. That would act as a strong disincentive to advertise and so slowly decrease the uptake of smoking," said London based consultant pathologist, Michael Jarmulowicz.

A spokesman for anti-smoking group ASH told ePolitix.com that the tobacco companies "should be made to pay. Especially in a situation when the NHS is strapped for cash".

But a spokesman for British American Tobacco observed that taxation on tobacco products already nets the government £10 billion a year.

"Consumers who choose to smoke are fully aware and informed of the risks. They bear responsibility themselves," he said.