The ban on smoking in pubs, clubs and offices has led to people cutting down on the habit, a survey revealed yesterday.

The results were welcomed by the British Lung Foundation, which said the ban would "undoubtedly have a positive impact" on people's health.

Among the smokers questioned, only 1.8 per cent have stopped smoking completely since the ban - but 15.8 per cent smoke less overall, while 34.1 per cent smoke less when out drinking in bars or pubs.

But there has been a slight drop in support for the ban, which came into force on July 1 in England, following similar regulations in other parts of the UK.

A survey conducted in late May in the run-up to the ban showed 36.3 per cent of smokers and 89.5 per cent of non-smokers were in favour of the ban.

The latest survey shows those numbers have fallen to 31.5 per cent and 87.4 per cent respectively.

The ban has led to smokers staying away from bars, with 44.8 per cent saying they had gone out less since it came into force.

The absence of smoke has not had the effect of cleaning up the air in pubs, with 61 per cent of smokers and 24.2 per cent of non-smokers thinking they now smell of other foul odours such as sweat and stale beer without cigarettes to mask them.

But the Ciao survey revealed 89.3 per cent of non-smokers feel that bars and pubs are nicer without smoking, and 61 per cent of smokers agree.

Dr Noemi Eiser, of the British Lung Foundation, said it was delighted the ban was helping people smoke less.

She said: "The smoking ban has also given millions of people with lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a new lease of life.

"Before the ban, they were effectively excluded from many public places because of the effects of second-hand smoke, but thanks to the ban they can now socialise without fear of an attack of breathlessness."