Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

45.6% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 48.5%, Female = 42.9%)

21.0% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 25.8%, Female = 16.9%)

19.0% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 22.4%, Female = 16.1%)

4.6% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 7.2%, Female = 2.5%)

12.9% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

21.1% think boys and 16.0% think girls who smoke have more friends

6.2% think boys and 4.4% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

16.6% usually smoke at home

15.4% buy cigarettes in a store
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

38.0% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

51.7% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

87.0% think smoking should be banned from public places

74.0% think smoke from others is harmful to them

38.6% have one or more parents who smoke

16.2% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

75.7% want to stop smoking

72.6% tried to stop smoking during the past year

78.4% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

90.1% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

66.1% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

47.6% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

5.4% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

10.6% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

39.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

21.3% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

33.3% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• One out of five students currently use any form of tobacco; 19% currently smoke cigarettes; 5% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—over one third of the students live in homes where others smoke in their presence; half of the students are exposed to smoke in public places; over one third of the students have a parent who smokes.

• Approximately three quarters of the students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• Over 8 in 10 students think smoking in public places should be banned.

• Nine in 10 students saw antismoking media messages in the past 30 days; two thirds of the students saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards in the past 30 days; approximately half of the students saw pro–cigarette ads in print media.