PLANS to make Scotland the first place in the UK to force cigarettes and other tobacco products to be sold in plain packaging have been welcomed by health campaigners.

The Scottish Government pledge to support standardised packaging follows a consultation which began last year.

Public Health Minister Michael Matheson announced the move in a new strategy to help stop people smoking.

He also set a target to reduce the number of smokers in Scotland from 23% to 5% by 2034.

Earlier this week the Scottish Government committed to making all NHS grounds smoke-free by 2015.

Mr Matheson said: "We've already seen the huge health benefits that followed the ban on smoking in public places. This Government is determined to build on this success, improving health and reducing health inequalities by reducing the number of people smoking.

"Our vision of a tobacco-free generation is about reaping the health, social and economic benefits that a significant reduction in smoking would bring. It would be an achievement of which we could all be proud."

Last April, the UK Government launched a consultation on introducing mandatory standardised packaging. Health campaigners welcomed the proposal but opponents claimed it would lead to increased smuggling and job losses. Health officials are analysing responses to the consultation.

In December, Australia became the first country in the world to put all tobacco products in standardised packs.

The Scottish Government said it will wait for the UK Government and other devolved administrations to respond to the consultation on standardised packaging before deciding on appropriate legislation.

Other aims are to invest more in education for young people, to create a national marketing campaign on the danger of second-hand smoke and to set a target for reducing children's exposure to smoke.

A ban on the open display of tobacco products in large shops and sales from self-service vending machines will be introduced in Scotland on April 29.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of anti-smoking group Ash, said: "It's excellent news the Scottish Government wants to introduce standard packaging for all tobacco products. Now it's time for the UK Government to follow Scotland's lead and commit to legislation. Australia has proved that introducing standardised packaging is easy to implement and causes no problems for retailers."

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "With thousands of children starting to smoke every year and more than one-quarter of all cancer deaths in the UK linked to smoking, urgent action is needed to tackle the devastation caused by tobacco.

"Replacing glitzy, brightly coloured packs that appeal to children with standard packs displaying prominent health warnings would be a huge public health achievement and give youngsters one less reason to start smoking."

Ben McKendrick, of the British Heart Foundation in Scotland, said: "This is a killer product and should not look appealing to young people."

Stirling University has undertaken a systematic review of studies into plain packaging. Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the university, said: "The findings are consistent and show plain packaging would reduce the appeal of cigarettes, improve the impact of health warnings on packs and help to reduce misunderstandings about the harmfulness of smoking."

However, Simon Clark, director of smokers' group Forest which runs the Hands Off Our Packs campaign, said: "Plain packaging is unreasonable because there is no credible evidence it will have any impact on youth smoking rates.

"There is a risk standardised packaging will encourage illicit trade and if that happens, those at greatest risk will be children because criminal gangs don't care who they sell cigarettes to."