It was also revealed this week that the council has not taken out a single prosecution against a pub or club for allowing customers to flout the law.

But the smoking ban continues to divide opinion in the licensed trade over whether it has hit business.

To coincide with the national outlawing of smoking in pubs, restaurants and other public places a year ago, local health managers have been offering free courses and advice on how to quit.

Carol Savage, specialist advisor for Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service, said there had been "a great response with around 3,000 people quitting during this time. This shows a steady year-on-year increase of 10%".

The result will be thousands of fewer deaths, it is maintained, as smokers are more likely to suffer heart and lung disease, cancer and strokes.

The council said this week that there was evidence across the country that businesses and the general public have quickly adapted to the smoke-free law, with compliance over the first nine months standing at over 98%.

Coun Shaffaq Mohammed, cabinet member for climate change and local environment, said: "Our officers carried out a thorough educational campaign for over six months before the ban was introduced to make sure that businesses were aware of their responsibilities from July 1 2007.

" We also worked with the businesses to give advice and they were allowed two warnings before any legal action would be taken. I am pleased to say that it has not been necessary to take legal action to date and only one business has received the second warning."

There have been occasional planning disputes in the city over pubs erecting smokers' shelters, but the issue of the smoking ban appears to be smouldering essentially within the licensed trade.

Chris Jordan, company director at Takapuna bar in West Street, said: "From an operator's perspective, the ban has meant that our bar is kept to a better standard.

"When people were allowed to smoke inside the bar the furniture got ruined easily with people dropping cigarettes on it and this just doesn't happen now.

"From a personal point of view, the smoking ban means the environment is much better and I can even take my little girl inside and not have to worry about her breathing in the cigarette smoke."

But Ann Flynn, licensee of The Dog and Partridge on Trippet Lane, said: "I think the smoking ban has ruined pubs. They should have at least left one smoking room.

"Pubs are definitely quieter. People's social habits are changing anyway, they are more likely to stay at home and play on the internet and drink cheap cans from the supermarket than come to the pub. But the smoking ban has affected us."

lCall 0800 068 4490 for help to give up smoking.