Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

48.4% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 52.8%, Female = 44.2%)

22.9% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 26.3%, Female = 19.9%)

19.2% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 21.8%, Female = 16.8%)

7.2% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 8.2%, Female = 6.3%)

24.8% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

20.9% think boys and 33.7% think girls who smoke have more friends

12.9% think boys and 24.2% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

8.6% usually smoke at home

35.1% buy cigarettes in a store

57.3% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

36.0% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

50.1% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

86.9% think smoking should be banned from public places

73.8% think smoke from others is harmful to them

36.3% have one or more parents who smoke
56.8% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

38.7% want to stop smoking

57.1% tried to stop smoking during the past year

65.0% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

84.0% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

83.9% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

76.4% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

15.5% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

11.3% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

63.8% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

37.5% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

58.3% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• One fifth of the students currently use any form of tobacco; 19% One quarter of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 9.4% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—over one third of the 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 over half of the students have friends who smoke.

• 7 in 10 students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• 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.