Smokers could be forced to buy £10 licence just for the privilege of lighting up

Smokers could be forced to pay for a Government tobacco licence in order to carry on buying cigarettes under draconian proposals being considered by ministers.

Government advisers have drawn up plans for a smoking permit - similar to the one needed to watch TV - which all smokers would have to carry.

Health experts have welcomed the move, pointing out that Britons are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases than those in any other European country. But the idea has triggered a furious backlash from smokers' groups, who claim it is evidence of a "bully state".

Under the plans, anyone who refused to pay for a permit would be banned from buying cigarettes from any outlet.

Although a licence could cost as little as £10 a year, forms would be made deliberately complex to deter people from applying.

Smokers could also be forced to obtain a doctor's signature, declaring their health was not at "massive risk" from their habit.

The scheme is the brainchild of Julian Le Grand, a professor at the London School of Economics, who heads the ministerial advisory board, Health England.

Yesterday, he claimed the idea would help many smokers break the habit if they had to make a decision whether to "opt in".

In a paper written for health minister Lord Darzi, Professor Le Grand writes: "Suppose every individual who wanted to buy tobacco had to purchase a permit.

"And suppose further that they had to do this every year. To get a permit would involve filling out a form and supplying a photograph, as well as paying the fee.

"Permits would only be issued to those over 18 and evidence of age would have to be provided. The money raised would go to the NHS."

Professor Le Grand said the proposal was an example of "libertarian paternalism" - the Government would leave people free to make their own decisions but would "nudge them" in the right direction.

"Breaking the New Year's resolution not to smoke would be costly in terms of both money and time," he added.

"This would probably have a greater impact on poor smokers than on rich ones, hence contributing to a reduction in health inequalities.

"Politically, this might be viewed by some as giving people a 'licence' to smoke; and by full-blooded libertarians as a subtle and even more dangerous form of paternalism.

"On the other hand, the popularity even among smokers of the smoking ban in public places suggests that firm actions in this area can lead to political as well as health pay-offs."

But Simon Clark, of smokers' rights group Forest, said the smoking permit proposal was outrageous.

"We are becoming not just a nanny state but a bully state," he said.

"Smokers already face record levels of taxation and this would be another financial hit on them. Tobacco is a perfectly legal product.

"There are a whole host of things out there that are potentially dangerous. If smokers are targeted in this way, it's a very short step to slapping a similar charge on anyone who wants to buy alcohol or any other product ministers don"t approve of."

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, GP representative on the British Medical Association"s public health committee, said asking doctors to police the permits would be "unworkable".

For each smoker to see their GP to renew a licence would mean 25million extra appointments a year, he claimed.