The heart attack rate fell 10 percent in England and 14 percent in Scotland after the U.K. countries imposed bans on public smoking, the Sunday Times reported Sept. 13.

Similar results are expected from a study in Wales.

"We always knew a public smoking ban would bring rapid health benefits, but we have been amazed by just how big and how rapid they are," said John Britton, director of the U.K. Center for Tobacco Control Studies at Nottingham University. The research is expected to boost calls for further curbs on secondhand smoke, such as banning smoking in cars with children.

"Exposure to cigarette smoke induces rapid changes in blood chemistry, making it much more prone to clotting," explained Ellen Mason, a senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation. "In someone who has narrowed or damaged coronary arteries, smoke exposure can tip the balance and cause a heart attack."

The findings echo those in other nations where public smoking has been banned, such as France, Ireland and Italy.