The first overhaul of tobacco legislation since major limits on sales, advertising and smoking in public were imposed in 2007, the draft bill seeks to discourage smoking, in particular among the youth.

The bill would transpose the new EU tobacco products directive and other measures imposed by the World Health Organisation's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

A key demand of the EU directive is placing large warnings and graphic images of illnesses caused by smoking on cigarette packages.

Within a period of two years, the ministry also seeks to introduce uniform, no-brand packaging for tobacco products to make them less attractive to buyers.

The tobacco industry is targeting the youth in particular, Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc said, adding that the biggest concern in Slovenia was an increase in the number of smokers among girls and young mums.

By implementing the EU directive, Slovenia would also impose a ban on flavours such as fruit or menthol and additives such as vitamins or herbs in cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco.

The ministry also seeks to tackle the sale and advertising of electronic cigarettes with Kolar Celarc announcing a ban on internet sale of tobacco and tobacco products.

The ministry also proposes measures to reduce accessibility to tobacco products, a full ban on advertising and a ban on smoking in cars carrying minors.

Cigarettes and other tobacco products would be outlawed from the media. This would not affect films but smoking would be banned on TV programmes.

The minister also announced a new fee called "tobacco cent", which could amount to between 50 cents and a euro, depending on the public consultation, which is being launched next week.

The money would be collected separately from the budget with the funds ringfenced for programmes aimed at preventing and reducing the damage caused by smoking.

Tobacco retailers would be required to obtain a licence. The ministry proposes for the licence fee to amount to EUR 200 per a vending outlet, which would net an estimated EUR 1.3m a year.

This take too would be used for prevention and raising the awareness about the hazards of smoking.

The licences and fines, on which licence extensions would depend, would be kept in a registry, which the ministry hopes to be able to set up in cooperation with the Public Administration Ministry within a year.

To crack down on offenders, the ministry proposes to use minors, with the consent of their parents, to track down sellers selling tobacco products to minors.