Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

43.7% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 46.5%, Female = 40.1%)

22.4% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 25.3%, Female = 19.2%)

18.7% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 22.0%, Female = 15.2%)

7.4% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 8.1%, Female = 6.4%)

24.0% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

22.0% think boys and 40.2% think girls who smoke have more friends

15.1% think boys and 25.8% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

7.7% usually smoke at home

35.2% buy cigarettes in a store

49.5% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

42.4% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

52.3% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

85.1% think smoking should be banned from public places

68.6% think smoke from others is harmful to them

46.6% have one or more parents who smoke

58.6% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

55.5% want to stop smoking

62.9% tried to stop smoking during the past year

66.1% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

81.6% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

85.5% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

75.8% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

17.2% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

9.7% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

66.0% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

38.5% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

59.9% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• 2 in 10 of the students currently use any form of tobacco; Almost two in 10 of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 7.4% 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; over two fifths of the students have a parent who smokes and over half of the students have friends who smoke.

• Almost 7 in 10 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 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.