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Singapore's Health Ministry is looking at the possibility of banning point-of-sale display of tobacco products in stores, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday.
This means that retailers may not be able to openly display cigarettes for sale. It may be an effective way of discouraging individuals from smoking or picking up the habit.
Customers will have to ask for tobacco products. These products will have to stored in areas that are not visible to the public, such as in closed drawers.
Gan said his ministry will seek the views from the public in the coming months.
Smoking prevalence in Singapore is relatively low, at 14.3 percent, compared to about 20 percent in New Zealand, 21 percent in Britain, and even higher in other developed countries, Gan said.
But it is on the rise, especially among young adults.
Singapore is one of the countries to introduce a system of rules discouraging people from smoking cigarettes, including graphic images and warning signs as well as a ban on tobacco advertisements.
