DOCTORS have welcomed controversial proposals to ban cigarette displays in shops and force tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in plain, unbranded packaging.

Under guidelines announced today, packets will lose their logos, graphics and distinctive colours, leaving health warnings as the most noticeable marking.

The move, designed to drive down smoking rates, will make England the first country in Europe to have plain packaging.

Ministers hope the tobacco control plan, coinciding with national No Smoking Day, will make cigarettes less alluring to the estimated 200,000 teenagers who take up smoking each year.

West Moors GP Tom McKinstry, chairman of the East Dorset division of the British Medical Association, said: “We are in favour of anything that reduces smoking; withdrawing advertising has to be a positive move.

“The number of women suffering from lung cancer has increased dramatically with more girls smoking than boys. Women find it harder to stop. It could be stress related and because they are trying to juggle too many responsibilities.

“Smoking is more addictive than lots of other drugs like heroin; people get hooked very quickly and it is really hard to give up. The bottom line is that we should be actively encouraging every appropriate measure to reduce tobacco advertising.”

Sophia Callaghan, NHS Bournemouth and Poole’s consultant in public health, said: “Any action to reduce smoking is positive and will compliment the work already undertaken in this area.

“Our stop smoking teams work with a range of local partners to support people to stop smoking and to reduce smoking in keys areas such as in the home and during pregnancy.”

But civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch slammed the proposals.

A spokesman said they would “demonise smokers, a group of people who voluntarily choose to consume a perfectly legal product”.

He added: “The Government likes to talk about freedom – how about respecting the rights of smokers? The nanny state is alive and well.”

• Contact the stop smoking team on 0300 30 38 038.