SMOKE-free public places will help East Lancashire's smokers to quit, leading health officials said today.

They backed the call by the Government's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson for a ban of smoking in all workplaces, pubs and restaurants.

And they say the move will help create environments where non-smoking becomes the social norm.

Blackburn with Darwen public health consultant Dr Gifford Kerr said such measures were needed to cut the number of smoking-related deaths.

He said: "Sir Liam's report is an important step towards raising awareness about the benefits of more smoke free policies in public places.

"Such policies will undoubtedly help more people to give up smoking and should be actively encouraged.

"At any one time, over 70 per cent of smokers are unhappy with the fact that they smoke and wish to give up."

And health chiefs in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale say they eagerly are looking forward to a ban being put in place.

The area's director of health standards Dr John Haworth said: "We wholeheartedly support the proposals.

"We hope to see through the implementation of this and the possibility of reduced levels of smoking related disease such as heart disease, lung diseases and cancer."

Sir Liam is suggesting the Government look at legislation, like that in New York, to ban smoking in public places and workplaces.

He said it would create a climate in which no smoking was the social norm and would help smokers to give up.

It would remove the risk of passive smoking for millions of people, including children and babies.

Smoking kills 120,000 people each year in the UK.

His report cited a British Medical Association estimate that in the UK at least 1,000 people die each year as a result of exposure to other people's tobacco smoke.

The Department of Health has responded cautiously, saying that though it was giving "very serious consideration" to Sir Liam's report, a big increase in the number of smoke-free public places would come about only if the public wanted it.

A spokeswoman said it would prefer to continue working with the industry to raise awareness and change behaviour.