While rehab facilities may be able to help young people who have become addicted to tobacco quit their habits, it may be simpler to prevent them from starting smoking in the first place.

A new study from University of Nottingham researchers found that removing tobacco advertisements from convenience stores led to major changes in the attitudes of adolescents and young adults toward this product.

The research team studied young people from Ireland, where laws have prohibited tobacco companies from displaying ads in stores. Theirs results showed that significantly fewer teens believed that their peers smoked and many said that it would make it easier to quit a tobacco habit.

Researchers said that the results confirm the "out of sight, out of mind" approach to eliminating smoking. By simply lowering individuals' awareness of tobacco products, lawmakers may be able to significantly reduce the number of smokers.

The results of the study also showed that retailers did not lose any revenues after the laws were implemented. Therefore, the investigation team concluded that all stakeholders may benefit from laws restricting tobacco advertising.