According to a new survey from the Cancer Center of the University of California at San Diego, 73 percent of private homes banned smoking in 1999, more than double the number in 1992.

"The population is becoming more aware and more used to restrictions at work, and more willing to adopt them at home," said study author Elizabeth Gilpin, director of the biostatistics program at the center.

The study also found that over the same time period, the percentage of children who lived in smoke-free homes increased from 38 percent to 82 percent.

Gilpin said the findings indicate that, "many more children are protected from smoking in California than almost any other state."

Under California's anti-smoking laws, smoking is banned in most indoor spaces, including workplaces, restaurants and bars and clubs.

For the study, more than 14,000 adults were surveyed by telephone in 1992, 1996, and 1999. The state's workplace laws took effect in 1994, while the ban on smoking in bars began in 1998.

The study is published in the May 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

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