The New York-style ban is needed both to safeguard the health of three million people who are heavily exposed at work — especially bar and restaurant workers — and to encourage smokers to give up, Sir Liam Donaldson said in his annual report on the state of public health.

He also raised the prospect of health warnings on foods high in fat, salt and added sugar, particularly those aimed at children. Britain was facing an obesity epidemic and obesity among children was a major cause for concern.

But Sir Liam firmly identified smoking as the most important issue facing public health. Passive smoking caused lung cancer, heart disease, cot death, asthma and ear infections, he said.

The Government, however, does not favour a mandatory ban. “Major changes to increase the number of smoke-free places will only come about, or be accepted, if people want them,” a Health Department spokesman said.

About 13 million British adults smoke — 28 per cent of men and 25 per cent of women — and every year 120,000 die as a result of the habit. A further 1,000 deaths are attributed to other people’s smoke.

“International experience has shown that the way to tackle the public health risks from second-hand smoke is to take action on smoking in public places,” Sir Liam said. “Tobacco has had an unrivalled run as the major killer in this country over the past 50 years. It has been the David of health against the Goliath of tobacco. At last we can see that David is winning. This would give us another stone to put in David’s sling.”

The British Medical Association welcomed Sir Liam’s report, saying it had been lobbying for such a ban since 1988, and the anti-smoking group Ash said that the call was reinforced by a survey suggesting that 88 per cent of people supported smoking restrictions in restaurants, 84 per cent favoured them at work, and 64 per cent in pubs.

A ban would cost the tobacco industry about £310 million a year and hit pubs and restaurants. Mark Hastings, of the British Beer and Pubs Association, said that 40 per cent of pub customers were smokers who might choose to stay at home. “Smokers shouldn’t be banned from going out and enjoying themselves.” Simon Clark, of the smokers’ rights group Forest, said: “We support restrictions, but there is no justification for a total ban.”

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