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After smoking in public places became illegal in England, there has been a drop in the number of children being admitted to hospital with symptoms of asthma, according to a report.

Research shows there was a 12.3 per cent fall in admissions in 12 months after the law came into effect in July 2007, and these have continued to drop in subsequent years, suggesting that the benefits of the legislation were sustained over time.

"The findings are good news ... and they should encourage countries where public smoking is permitted to consider introducing similar legislation," said Christopher Millett from Imperial's school of public health, who led the study.

Smoke-free areas already exist in the U.S. and a number of countries. Smoke-free laws help to shield children and other non-smokers from the negative health effects associated with cigarette smoking.

"Previous studies have also suggested that the smoke-free law changed people's attitudes about exposing others to second-hand smoke and led more people to abstain from smoking voluntarily at home and in cars," Dr. Christopher Millett of the School of Public Health at Imperial College London said in a statement.

"We think that exposing children to less second-hand smoke in these settings probably played in important role in reducing asthma attacks."

Studies have highlighted other health benefits as people have either cut down on smoking or inhaled less secondhand smoke. In 2010, researchers at Bath University reported a 2.4% fall in emergency admissions in England for heart attacks in the wake of the smoking ban. The fall equated to 1,200 fewer cases in the first year after the ban was introduced.