With the New Year upon us, many smokers may be considering kicking the habit once and for all. For those considering quitting, a new study has found that complete smoking bans in the home encourage smokers to cut back or quit the habit altogether.

According to US researchers, the findings demonstrate how smoking bans in the home can change smoking behaviours.

"When there's a total smoking ban in the home, we found that smokers are more likely to reduce tobacco consumption and attempt to quit than when they're allowed to smoke in some parts of the house," explained Dr Wael Al-Delaimy, of the University of California in San Diego.

He said the same is true if a smoking ban is enforced in an entire town or city.

"California was the first state in the world to ban smoking in public places in 1994 and we are still finding the positive impact of that ban by changing the social norm and having more homes and cities banning smoking," he noted.

The findings were based on a survey of over 1,700 current smokers. The study found that when a total smoking ban existed in the home, the smokers were significantly more likely to reduce the amount they smoked or quit the habit altogether.

Partial bans in the home had little or no effect on smoking behaviour.

The results were irrespective of the race or income of the smokers.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Preventive Medicine.