Doctors' representatives have backed calls by the Scottish National Party for a ban on tobacco advertising.

The British Medical Association in Scotland has said MSPs should put the health of the nation before "petty party politics" and implement a commitment to ban tobacco advertising.

The BMA call came as SNP shadow health minister Nicola Sturgeon published a draft member's bill on tobacco advertising in Scotland, saying the country should "take the lead" in banning it. The move would save more than 300 lives in Scotland every year, she said.

The SNP proposals would ban tobacco adverts in shops, newspapers and magazines published in Scotland as well as on billboards. They would also ban free distributions that are designed to promote tobacco products in Scotland and would pave the way for a ban on tobacco sponsorship agreements.

Sturgeon hopes to gain sufficient cross-party support to pass the legislation north of the Border, a move which would cause embarrassment to the executive as Scottish health minister Susan Deacon has warned that the move could be ineffective and unenforceable.

"I know that new Labour, Liberal MSPs and many Tory MSPs support a ban on tobacco advertising. I sincerely hope that this issue does not become party political and that we can all unite behind a measure that is in the interests of the Scottish people," said Sturgeon.

The BMA's Scottish secretary, Dr Bill O'Neill, called for all parties in the Scottish parliament to recognise that if they treated the issue as a political football they would be letting down the interests of thousands of young Scots "lured" into smoking every year.

Tobacco advertising in the UK is valued at around £130 million while cancer-related deaths in Scotland are estimated at 13,000 a year.

The BMA argued that while Westminster legislation would be the best way to outlaw the practice, the UK government's continuing refusal to implement a ban make it the duty of MSPs to act.

Dr O'Neill said: "MSPs must rise above political rivalries and focus on their wider responsibility to young Scots. It is irrelevant who proposes this legislation, what is relevant is that we know that this bill will save lives. MSPs who use this issue as a political football, whatever their party, are only serving the interests of the tobacco firms who pedal these deadly products."

"There is little evidence of Westminster moving to implement a ban, but it is already clear that there is an overwhelming majority in the Scottish parliament for legislation. The only question is whether the Scottish parliamentarians can leave the ya-boo politics behind and move on to protecting the lives of young Scots," he said.

Tobacco advertising is an issue devolved to the Scottish parliament, but in January MSPs decided to back a Westminster bill. However, the bill failed to become law before the election and was not mentioned in the Queen's Speech as government legislation. A Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Clement-Jones, has brought forward his own bill on the issue.

"The Scottish executive has tried to explain its failure to introduce a bill in the Scottish parliament on the basis that a UK wide ban would be more desirable. I agree that it would be preferable for a ban to be enacted on an UK wide basis, and I today repeat my call for the UK government to give a guarantee that legislation will be introduced immediately after the Westminster recess," said Sturgeon.

"If that commitment is forthcoming, separate Scottish legislation will not be necessary, and I will not proceed with my member's Bill. However, in the absence of that commitment, there is no reason why Scotland should not take the lead," she added.