Smoking not only an unhealthy habit, but it can also impoverish children, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that smoking puts 400,000 children in poverty, suggesting that the habit places a financial burden on low income families because parents are likely to forgo basic household and food necessities in order to fund their addiction, The Economic Times reported.

"Smoking reduces the income available for families to feed, clothe and otherwise care for their children living in low-income households. This study demonstrates that if our government, and our health services, prioritized treating smoking dependence, it could have a major effect on child poverty as well as health," Dr. Tessa Langley, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers based their findings on national surveys which estimate the number of children living in poverty by household structure, The Daily Mail reported. They estimate that 1.1 million children in the United Kingdom, almost half of all children in poverty, were living with at least one parent who smokes. A further 400,000 would be classed as being in poverty if parental tobacco expenditure were subtracted from household income.

Although many smokers save money by opting for budget brands or switching to hand rolling tobacco, the cost of their smoking is still a substantial drain on the budgets of families living on low incomes.

Langley said the UK Government has an opportunity to take action to improve the lives of millions of children

"Tobacco control interventions to encourage low income smokers to quit, would not only improve health but also alleviate poverty," Langley said.

The findings are detailed in the journal BMC Public Health.