Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

29.2% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 33.3%, Female = 23.5%)

15.2% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 18.0%, Female = 11.1%)

10.5% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 12.7%, Female = 7.4%)

7.2% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 8.3%, Female = 5.4%)

20.5% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

18.0% think boys and 34.5% think girls who smoke have more friends

11.2% think boys and 19.5% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

20.1% usually smoke at home

36.7% buy cigarettes in a store

54.9% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

34.6% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

46.7% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

93.1% think smoking should be banned from public places

77.4% think smoke from others is harmful to them

32.2% have one or more parents who smoke

47.2% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

64.6% want to stop smoking

64.7% tried to stop smoking during the past year

70.1% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

85.6% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

85.8% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

74.6% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

12.4% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

11.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

69.4% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

38.8% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

60.9% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• 15% of the students currently use any form of tobacco; 10.5% of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 7.2% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—over 3 in 10 students live in homes where others smoke and over 4 in 10 are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; a third of the students have a parent who smokes and over 4 in 10 students have friends who smoke.

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

• Over two thirds of the current smokers want to stop smoking.

• 1 in 10 students was offered a free cigarette by a tobacco company representative.

• Over 8 in 10 students saw antismoking media messages in the past 30 days; Over 8 in 10 students saw pro–cigarette ads in the past 30 days.