The government tackles the sale and promotion of tobacco products

The plans, to be revealed by The Department of Health, will reveal plans for tackling both the sale and promotion of tobacco products.

One of the main changes is expected to be that they will ban the display of tobacco products in shops. They are also thought to reveal that tobacco companies will be forced to put cigarettes into plain and unbranded packaging.

A number of other countries across the globe, including Canada, Ireland and Finland, have already introduced the ban on displaying tobacco products in shops.

However if the unbranded packaging law goes ahead, England will be the first country in Europe to make this move. Australia is expected to introduce this measure in 2012.

Andrew Lansley, Health Secretary, has explained that he hopes that the changes will reduce the number of smokers and, as a consequence, avoidable deaths and disease.

Over recent years the government have introduced a number of steps to stop people from smoking. These measures have included the following:

• Putting warning signs on cigarette packets
• Banning smoking in public places
• The age at which people can buy cigarettes has increased to 18

Despite these measures the number of people smoking in the UK has not reduced in the last few years, which has led to ministers introducing new rules to combat the issue.

By Lauren King