A complete ban was supported by 73% of the 1,000 people in England and Wales quizzed ahead of the Health Improvement and Protection Bill. It is due to be laid before Parliament in November this year.

More Pub Visits with Ban?

The UK government is currently proposing to exempt pubs that do not serve prepared food and private membership clubs from the smokefree legislation.

But Wales hopes to go it alone with a more stringent, blanket ban.

It has already voted in favor of a total ban on smoking in public places within two to three years but is waiting to be given powers to impose the restrictions. The poll showed 85% of people would visit bars and pubs as often or even more often if they were smokefree by law.

A complete ban, like the one imposed in the Republic of Ireland, would see 85% of people making as many -- if not more -- visits to bars and pubs, the poll said.

Second-Hand Smoke Kills

ASH director Deborah Arnott said: "The public wants action to end second-hand smoke at work. It now kills more than 600 people at work every year. And it causes many thousands of asthma attacks and episodes of illness.

"The pointless and damaging exemptions for pubs and clubs must be dropped from the final bill. Smokefree legislation must be comprehensive if it is to be successful."

The hospitality industry had nothing to fear from a ban, campaigners claimed.