The government said Wednesday it plans to ban the display of tobacco products in shops and said it keeps an "open mind" on plain packaging for cigarettes.

Restrictions banning the display of tobacco products, except for "temporary displays in certain limited circumstances", will come into effect in large shops on 6 April 2012, and in all shops from 6 April 2015.

This is part of the ministry's tobacco control plan ("Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England") which was published today to coincide with a national No Smoking Day in the UK and which aims at reducing adult smoking rates in England by the end of 2015 to 18.5 per cent or less (from 21.2 per cent).

Both the Association of Convenience Stores and the British Retail Consortium said there is no evidence that a display ban would help reduce smoking rates, while the National Federation of Retail Newsagents said the move was a "betrayal of our nation of shopkeepers".

As part of the plan the government will also assess the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products, saying it will "consult on options to reduce the promotional impact of tobacco packaging before the end of 2011."

If the UK introduces plain packs, it would become the first European Union country to do so. Australia last year announced plans to require plain packaging for cigarettes beginning in 2012.

The government added that a ban on tobacco sales from vending machines is due to come into effect on 1 October this year. (pi)