May 29, 2015 04:57 PM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Smoking legislation is associated with fewer hospital admissions, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that smoke-free legislation has resulted in 11,000 fewer admissions to hospital a year from respiratory infections in children.

"Our results add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of smoke-free legislation. Although our results cannot definitively establish a cause and effect, the rigorous analysis clearly shows that the introduction of smoke-free legislation was associated with significant reductions in hospital admissions among children," Dr. Jasper Been, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers analyzed nearly 1,652,000 hospital admissions in children across England from 2001 to 2012. The children analyzed were aged between 0 and 14 years to reduce the effect of those who actively smoked.

They found that the introduction of legislation was followed by an immediate reduction of 13.8 percent in admission to hospital for lower respiratory tract infections. Admissions for upper respiratory tract infections also decreased. The findings also showed that the reduction in hospital admissions varied according to socio-economic status with the decrease being largest among the most deprived children.

"When you look at the results of this study alongside national data showing a decrease in smoking within the home, the findings greatly strengthen the recommendations for the global implementation of legislation prohibiting smoking in public places. We urge other nations to consider introducing and enforcing smoke-free legislation in order to protect the health of children -- the most vulnerable members of society," Aziz Sheikh, senior author of the study, said in a statement.

The findings are detailed in the European Respiratory Journal. 

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