Plans to ban sweet-tasting vapes as part of an effort to protect children’s health will be counterproductive and drive young people back to cigarettes, a smoking rights group has claimed.

The Scottish Greens are urging supermarkets to hide the flavoured nicotine products from display in an attempt to stop teenagers from being attracted to them.

Gillian Mackay, the party’s health spokeswoman, said there was growing concern that the number of young people vaping was rapidly increasing due to “deliberately sweet-toothed tactics”. She is prepared to bring forward legislation if shops do not agree to her suggestion.

“This is beyond the days of smoking behind the bike sheds; this is a multimillion industry leading the nation’s health down a path to disaster.