SMOKERS will have to look harder to find tobacco on display in supermarkets from today after new legislation came into force.

The law banning cigarettes and other items from being displayed brings Scotland into line with the rest of the UK, and is designed to deter young people from smoking.

Stores with floorspace of more than 280sq m – in other words, supermarkets – face criminal prosecution or fixed-penalty fines from trading standards officers if the products are not covered up.

Cigarette vending machines also become unlawful from today, and smaller shops will have to comply with the display ban in 2015. The shop display ban is part of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said the measures were "the right step to prevent young people taking up smoking."

He said: "It is well known that smoking is associated with a range of illness and is the primary preventable cause of ill health and premature death. Each year, tobacco use is associated with over 13,000 deaths and 56,000 hospital admissions in Scotland.

"That is why it is so important that this Government works to improve health by reducing the number of people who choose to smoke, and evidence shows that young people exposed to the promotion of tobacco are more likely to try smoking."

The Tobacco Retailers' Alliance (TRA), representing more than 26,000 shopkeepers across the UK, has argued against the new legislation.

TRA Scotland spokesman Geoff Barrett, who has a shop in Glasgow, said: "There is still no credible evidence that introducing this ban will stop young people smoking.

"That's not really surprising because we all know young people smoke because of peer pressure or because friends or families smoke."

Instead of burdening retailers with more regulation, the Scottish Government should tackle the problem of tobacco smuggling, which he said was endemic and the source of cigarettes for under-age smokers.

He added: "It also doesn't make any sense that the UK Government is still looking at putting tobacco in plain packaging before this latest restriction on display has even been implemented in Scotland, let alone evaluated."

But Vicky Crichton of Cancer Research UK said: "There is strong evidence that stacking cigarettes next to crisps and sweets makes tobacco seem like a normal part of everyday life.

"The majority of smokers start before they turn 19. Putting tobacco out of sight is a step towards putting them out of mind. The next step is to remove all branding from cigarette packs. This would mean an end to the glitzy, slickly designed packs that can lure young people into thinking tobacco isn't lethal.

"Putting tobacco out of sight behind shop counters is a victory for common sense and for the health of future generations."