A new poll finds that four of five residents of European Union nations say that smoking should be banned in most indoor public places, the BBC reported May 31.

The Eurobarometer poll also found that 61 percent of residents said that smoking should be banned in bars. "On the whole, a majority of European Union citizens seem to be in favor of banning smoking in public places," the report said. "Support for a ban seems to be less clear-cut in the case of restaurants, bars and pubs."

Of the 29,000 people polled, 27 percent said they smoked, down from 33 percent in 2002.

Strong majorities of Europeans also think that smoking with a pregnant woman nearby could harm her unborn child, said they would not smoke in the presence of a child, and thought that secondhand smoke could harm nonsmokers.