Forcing cigarette manufacturers to remove the printed labels from tobacco products could have an impact on cutting the number of people who smoke.

This is according to a study by Cancer Research UK, which used plain packaging to see if smokers changed their behaviour.

It was found that people who were given plain packs took cigarettes out less frequently, handed them out to friends less often and did not take the casing out of their bags or pockets as much as those with printed packs.

Some of the participants also said they might quit rather than buy unbranded brown products like this.

Lead author of the report Dr Crawford Moodie said: "We're now looking to build on this research to understand more about the impact of packaging on smokers."

A recent study at the University of Minnesota and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that smoking may be more harmful for women than it is for men.

Fix-a-form labels may be used more by manufacturers to add information discreetly to packs when the ban on decorative packaging comes in.

Denny Bros Ltd , 9 September 2011