The government ban on tobacco displays in England is due to begin on 6 April 2012. From this date, supermarkets will be required to remove their tobacco displays, although smaller shops will not need to do so until 2015.
The Department of Health hope that the ban will protect young people from tobacco promotion and also support adults who are trying to quit.
Tobacco products will still be be bought in the usual way, but will have to be kept under shop counters rather than out on display.
It is estimated that 80,000 people in England per year die from smoking, and anti-smoking campaigners indicate that the ban is an important move. Similar bans are also expected to be introduced in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Visible tobacco displays have already been banned in other countries around the world, including Canada, Iceland and Norway.
Jean King of Cancer Research UK said: “It’s vital that everything is done to put tobacco out of sight and out of mind to protect future generations of children. Half of all long-term smokers will die from a tobacco-related disease, and most become addicted as teenagers.”
Experts suggest that retailers aren’t likely to suffer as a result of removing their tobacco displays. Evidence from a similar ban in Ireland indicate that those who do smoke are still easily able to buy their tobacco products and didn’t need the displays to help them decide which product to buy.