Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

46.4% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 53.0%, Female = 39.3%)

23.6% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 29.6%, Female = 16.8%)

20.1% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 25.5%, Female = 13.8%)

7.8% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 10.5%, Female = 5.1%)

23.8% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

22.2% think boys and 33.1% think girls who smoke have more friends

14.0% think boys and 23.6% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

8.8% usually smoke at home

32.0% buy cigarettes in a store

62.9% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

42.1% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

55.8% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

87.8% think smoking should be banned from public places

73.7% think smoke from others is harmful to them

40.9% have one or more parents who smoke

49.1% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

53.7% want to stop smoking

64.9% tried to stop smoking during the past year

66.5% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

85.3% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

86.4% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

74.5% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

15.6% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

11.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

67.4% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

39.4% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

61.9% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• Almost 25% of the students currently use any form of tobacco; One fifth of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 7.8% currently use some other form of tobacco.

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

• Almost 75% of the students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• Over half of the current smokers want to stop smoking.

• 1 in 10 students were 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.