More than half the Dutch now back a ban on smoking on cafe terraces and 87% think it should be banned in children’s playgrounds, according to research by campaign group Alliantie Nederland Rookvrij.

Ten years ago, just one in six people supported a ban on smoking outside cafes and bars, but that has now increased to over 50%, the survey, carried out among over 1,100 adults by research group Kantar, shows.

‘We have seen that an increasing number of people back a ban on smoking on terraces, and they are increasingly smoke-free, but of course it is up to cafe owners themselves to take this step,’ a spokesman for Dutch cancer charity KWF Kankerbestrijding said.

In total, seven in 10 people think the ban on smoking should be widened to include more places where children go, including outdoor swimming pools, amusement parks, football stadiums and schools.

And seven in 10 people also now say cigarettes and tobacco should not be on public display, a rise from 57% 10 years ago.

The alliance was formed several years ago to encourage the realisation of a ‘smoke free generation’ and now has 160 partners.

‘The number of smoke free places visited by children is going up all the time, and there is continuing support for there to be even more,’ said ANR spokeswoman Sigrid Attema. ‘This is not only good news for children, but it it also necessary because 80% of smokers become addicted at a young age.’