Nov 06, 2014 11:07 AM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Teenagers who live in neighborhoods with a large number of shops that sell tobacco products are much more likely to take up smoking, according to recent study.

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow in the United Kingdom found that adolescents with the most tobacco outlets in their neighborhood are almost 50 percent more likely to smoke than those with no outlets nearby. They also found that teenagers living in areas with the highest density of retailers are 53 percent more likely to try smoking at least once.

"We were surprised by how strong an influence the retail environment was on teenagers' smoking behavior," researcher Richard Mitchell said in a statement. "The results are good news because they offer a new tool with which to try and reduce smoking rates."

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from more than 20,000 school pupils between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.

They created a map of tobacco retailers for every postcode in Scotland. They examined the links between adolescent smoking habits and tobacco outlet density in teenagers' home and school neighborhoods.

They found that teenagers lining in all neighborhoods -- not just those with levels of high poverty - were found to be affected.

Based on their findings, researchers argue that anti-smoking strategies among teenagers should include reducing the overall density of tobacco retailers. They say that limiting teenagers' access to tobacco products is vital, as long-term smoking usually begins in adolescence.

Tobacco control policies often prioritize the reduction of outlets in specific areas, such as neighborhoods near schools. However, researchers found no evidence that adolescents attending schools in areas with high numbers of tobacco shops are more likely to smoke.

"The Scottish Government has signaled its intent for a 'tobacco-free' Scotland by 2034. Our research shows that as part of this plan we need to consider regulating the number of retailers selling tobacco in our neighborhoods," Niamh Scott, who led the study, said in a statement.

The findings are detailed in the journal Tobacco Control.

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit