Almost two thirds of Britons would back a ban on smoking in pub gardens, a new poll has claimed.
The Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) charity has claimed such a move would be “common sense” and would be a useful step in creating a "smoke-free generation".
The Ash-commissioned YouGov survey - which probed 13,259 people - also found majority support for a smoking ban in university campuses and bus stops.
Meanwhile, more than nine in 10 (93 per cent) backed outlawing cigarette use from children's playgrounds.
The poll also found the majority of Britons support a ban extending to hospitality venues - with 62 per cent saying they would back prohibition in settings such as beer gardens.
Some 68 per cent also reported to be supportive of university and college campuses being transformed into smoke-free environments.
The survey comes just weeks after Labour's Tobacco and Vapes Bill was given royal assent - making Britain the first country in Europe to introduce legislation to block children aged under 17 from every buying cigarettes.
It mirrors the approach taken by New Zealand in 2022 - which intended to ban cigarette sales to anyone born after January 1, 2009.
The YouGov survey also found majority support for a smoking ban in university campuses and bus stops
| PAHowever, the law was later scrapped by the National-led coalition government, who argued the move would help fund tax cuts for working people.
Meanwhile in Britain, a Government consultation seeking views on extending smoke-free laws to certain outdoor spaces and the creation of vape-free spaces closed on May 8.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has long opposed any call for a ban on smoking in pub gardens.
In August 2024, when news of the propsed ban first came to light, Mr Farage warned bans would spell the "end of British pubs" as we know them.
"I think it's massive Government overreach," he told The People's Channel at the time.
"I think it's an intrusion that is just a step way too far - because if you're outside, there's no reason why your smoke should affect anybody else at all."
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Last month, Britain became the first country in Europe to block children aged under 17 from every buying cigarettes
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Ash's chief executive Hazel Cheeseman branded the introduction of smoke-free laws as "one of the biggest public health success stories in recent decades".
She added: "But millions of people are still exposed to harmful second-hand smoke in outdoor settings.
“The public is clear that they want more places where they can breathe clean air. As ministers review the findings from the consultation, there is a strong mandate to go further and faster.
“Extending smoke-free laws to areas like pub gardens, all play areas, university campuses and transport hubs is a common-sense next step that will protect health and support a smoke-free generation.”
Ministers have claimed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will slash the number of British smokers from 5.5 million in 2023 to just over 700,000 in 2056.
Government estimates also suggest it will prevent more than 154,000 deaths by the end of the century.
Some 62 per cent of Britons said they would back prohibition in outdoor hospitality venues
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A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “The Tobacco and Vapes Act is a historic step towards Britain’s first smoke-free generation, protecting them from the harms of smoking and delivering on our ambition for a smoke-free UK.
“Our consultation on free-from places closed on Friday and we are carefully considering responses.
“As part of the consultation, we set out our proposals to make a number of settings smoke, vape and heated tobacco-free - including kids playgrounds and outside schools.
"We also proposed making indoor spaces where smoking is already banned vape-free and heated tobacco-free.
“This strikes the right balance right between protecting the most vulnerable and limiting any potential negative impacts on businesses.”
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