SOUTH Australians born after 1999 should never be allowed to buy tobacco, a survey on attitudes towards smoking has found.

More than two-thirds of the 2500 respondents to the adelaidenow survey believed smokers should not be allowed smoking breaks at work but if they were, 93.1 per cent believe non-smokers should get them as well.

Of the 29.3 per cent of respondents who smoked, the poll found 30 per cent of those were spending $50-$100 on cigarettes each week. A further 14.1 per cent spent more than $100 on their addiction each week.

Last month, a motion calling for a ban on cigarette sales to anyone born after 1999 was passed in Tasmania's Upper House.

The adelaidenow survey found 67.7 per cent of respondents would support the same proposal in South Australia.

Kathryn Barnsley, who advised parliamentary leaders in Tasmania on tobacco control, said more must be done to prevent children taking up the habit.

"Smoking is a paediatric disease," Ms Barnsley said.

"It is taken up by children, they become addicted and find it hard to quit as adults." She said tobacco use should be phased out by 2020 and heavily addicted smokers given access to tobacco under a licensing scheme.

Cancer Council SA chief executive Professor Brenda Wilson said most smokers were addicted in their teens.

"Cancer Council SA will continue to advocate for measures that are not only aimed at preventing young people taking up the habit but which also assist people in quitting, such as a full ban on smoking in alfresco drinking and dining settings."

Opposition health spokesman Martin Hamilton-Smith said banning smoking would not work.

"I think education programs and other measures would be far more effective at getting the anti-smoking message through," he said

Health Minister John Hill said the display of menthol "capsule" cigarettes would soon be banned in SA.

From January 1, 2015, cigarettes will be banned from display in all retail outlets in South Australia.

Originally published as 'Ban smoking for next generation'