From today cigarettes will no longer be on display for customers to see as legislation restricting tobacco product displays comes into effect.

Up until now cigarettes and tobacco products have been displayed alongside confectionary behind shop counters.

Harjit Sing has changed the name of his store from the Tobacco Discounter to the Total Discounter under new legislation against tobacco.

Under the Smokefree Environment Amendments Act retailers are now required to keep all tobacco products out of public view and remove all tobacco references in their store branding.

The law that introduced the display ban also allows enforcement officers to instantly fine retailers $1000 for selling tobacco to people aged less than 18-years-old.

The maximum penalty for selling tobacco to underage people also increases from $2000 to $10,000.

Cameron Road convenience store owner Harjit Singh has had to change the name of his store from the Tobacco Discounter to the Total Discounter under new legislation, but does not think the change in the way cigarettes are sold will make much difference.

'If the Government makes a decision good for New Zealand we follow the law. I don't think it will reduce the number of people buying smokes though,” says Harjit.

Harjit stocks over 150 different tobacco products with the cheapest packet of 20s selling for $12.90. The most expensive option is a packet of 50-gram Port Royal rolling tobacco at $51.90.

Harjit does not have ready access to the profit per pack but says it is approximately 10 per cent.

A woman purchasing cigarettes in the Cameron Road store, who did not wish to be names, says two packets of Horizon 25s will last her husband two weeks.

She does not smoke herself but says if cigarettes are going to be hidden, alcohol and fatty foods should also be hidden.

'Obesity kills almost as many people as tobacco. Should we put pictures of morbidly obese people on Cadbury wrapping?”

Another man who prefers to be called only Daniel says he doesn't care if the Government puts the price per pack up to $20, he will still smoke.

'It just creates a black market. It's not like it is that hard to get weed or other drugs is it? Next they will be telling us not to drink. We'll have all these healthy old people and no one with enough work to support them all,” says Daniel.

The Government is also considering other steps to stop the promotion of tobacco products including the introduction of plain packaging.

Australia has already decided to introduce plain packaging from December this year which will remove tobacco company branding and replace it with larger hard-hitting images featuring the tragic consequences of smoking.

The prevalence of smoking in New Zealand was 35 per cent in 1983. Today it is under 18 per cent.

However, around 5000 New Zealanders still die each year from illnesses directly related to tobacco-use with higher rates of smoking and subsequent ill-health among Māori and Pacific.

Efforts to reduce tobacco use will be further enhanced with the New Zealand Government committing to a vision of Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025.

A new $20million innovation fund has been provided in this year's Budget to fund programmes that help create smokefree environments.

In the next four years the Pathway to Smoke-Free 2025 will invest in the design and development of innovative efforts to reduce the harm and costs of smoking.

Tobacco excise taxes will also increase by 10 per cent a year over the next four years. Research shows price increases drive tobacco sales down with company returns showing consumption fell by 14 per cent from 2009 to 2011 on the heel of three tobacco tax increases.