Following a public consultation which yielded 96,000 responses, U.K. Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced Monday the total banning of cigarette displays in shops beginning 2013. From October 2011, large shops could no longer display cigarette products, while the ban takes effect in smaller shops after two years.

More strict age restriction on sales will be imposed for tobacco sale through vending machines. But earlier proposals to make it illegal to retail cigarette sticks in packs of 10 and to have plain packaging for cigarettes were rejected.

The two extra years of grace period for smaller stores was allowed to protect them from closing shop during a period of recession. The Department of Health said there was no evidence which showed shops in other countries that ordered a similar ban closed, although nations which prohibited display of cigarettes registered a 10 percent drop in smoking among young people.

The ban would cover vendo machines because studies disclosed that 40 percent of cigarette purchases by young Britons aged 11 to 15 were through the machine. To ensure compliance with the law, British youths would be required to show proof of age before they will be issued tokens for the cigarette vendo machines.

Smoking has been blamed for 87,000 deaths per annum in England.