Shutters come down as tobacco promotion ban aims to curb smoking

The new legislation means all large shops and supermarkets in England must cover up cigarettes and hide tobacco products from public view.

The Department of Health said the move was in response to evidence that cigarette displays in shops can encourage young people to take up the habit.

More than 300,000 children under 16 try smoking each year and 5 per cent of children aged 11 to 15 are regular smokers, according to its figures.

Meanwhile 39 per cent of smokers say that they were smoking regularly before the age of 16.

Health Minister Anne Milton said: “We cannot ignore the fact that young people are recruited into smoking by colourful, eye-catching, cigarette displays.

“Most adult smokers started smoking as teenagers and we need to stop this trend.

“Banning displays of cigarettes and tobacco will help young people resist the pressure to start smoking and help the thousands of adults in England who are currently trying to quit.”

Under the new rules all tobacco products must be kept out of sight except when staff are serving customers or carrying out other day-to-day tasks such as restocking.

Those found not complying with the law could be fined up to £5,000 or face imprisonment.

The ban on displays will roll out to smaller shops and businesses in three years while the Government is also consulting on introducing plain packaging for packets of cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the ban was part of a move to ensure “we no longer see smoking as a part of life”.

Jean King, of Cancer Research UK, told the programme: “We want everything we can possibly do to make cigarettes unavailable and inaccessible and something that children don’t see as a normal product.”