Mexico ? The government teamed up with doctors, academics and a U.S.-based drug company Wednesday to announce a campaign to reduce the number of smokers in Mexico by more than 10 percent in three years.

The newly formed National Alliance Against Tobacco Addiction also urged Congress to pass a new tax on cigarettes proposed by President Felipe Calderon.

About 13 percent of Mexico’s population, or 14 million people, smoke, and 122 people die each day from tobacco-related illnesses, according to government statistics.

Among Mexico’s smokers are 25 percent of its doctors. The alliance pledged an effort to persuade them to kick the habit.

The initiative will include publicity spots directed at students, teachers and the general population and courses led by doctors to help patients stop smoking or prevent them from starting.

Calderon’s government has proposed a 10 percent to 12 percent tax on cigarettes – an average of 27 cents per pack. A pack of cigarettes costs about $1.80 in Mexico.