HELSINKI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Finland's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars has reduced sick leaves taken by workers in those places in the last two years, said a report on Monday.

    The anti-smoking legislation, which took effect on June 1, 2007,bans smoking in restaurants and bars, except those with separate, purpose-built smoking rooms.

    As a result, bar and restaurant workers' exposure to cigarette smoke has been significantly reduced, and their susceptibility to lung cancers, heart and vascular diseases has declined, the report released by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health said.

    Before the strict anti-smoking law took effect, the risk of suffering from lung cancers by restaurant and bar workers were two to three times higher than people in other working places, the report said.