Cigarettes are to be driven under the counter under plans announced yesterday by ministers.

Cigarettes are to be driven under the counter under plans announced yesterday by ministers.

But apart from forcing tobacco from view or behind shutters, the Scottish Government is also to create a virtual licensing scheme, in which tobacco retailers will have to register their involvement in selling cigarettes.

This "registration" will fall short of a full licensing regime, but ministers are confident it will force the worst purveyors of under-age sales to stop selling tobacco products. The crackdown on tobacco sales was met with an angry warning from retail chiefs who said it would hit smaller shops in the pocket.

The measures, however, were backed by medical chiefs and health campaigners who say it moves Scotland closer to a "smoke-free future" within which this habit should "denormalised".

Public Health Minister Shona Robison also said a ban on the sale of cigarettes in packets of 10 would be considered. Legal controls on the sale of tobacco will be updated and possible options for licensing, with sanctions that include cautions and fixed-penalty notices, will be studied.

The moves form part of a drive costing £9m over three years to discourage young people in particular from smoking. The minister told MSPs that although tobacco advertising was banned in 2002, there were "growing concerns" that public displays of cigarettes at points of sale were hindering efforts to "denormalise" smoking.

She said a crackdown on smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes is also to be taken forward in collaboration with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. She told MSPs that smoking was responsible for about 13,000 deaths and 33,500 hospital admissions each year, costing the NHS £200m a year for hospital treatment for smoking-related illnesses.

She also told MSPs that on licensing, she was looking at a system which would require those selling tobacco to register, which would provide trading standards officers with a list to check compliance.

Andy Willox, of the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland said: "Forcing thousands of small independent shops to redesign their premises does not seem like the actions of government committed to sustainable economic growth."

John Drummond, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers' Federation, said the display of tobacco products was "essential" to allow customers to make a choice, adding: "The cost of compliance with a tobacco display ban will place a significant financial burden on small retailers."

Chris Ogden, of the Tobacco Manufacturer's Association, said: "There is insufficient evidence to suggest that banning displays of tobacco products at the point of sale will deter young people from taking up smoking."

Scottish Retail Consortium director Fiona Moriarty said: "We fully support sanctions against retailers who consistently sell to children, but licensing would penalise all retailers."

Dr Andrew Buist, of the British Medical Association, said it was right that tackling "children's addiction to tobacco" should be a top priority of government.