Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

38.8% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 44.0%, Female = 33.3%)

19.5% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 21.4%, Female = 17.5%)

15.3% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 17.3%, Female = 13.1%)

7.0% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 7.8%, Female = 6.1%)

24.3% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

24.0% think boys and 36.8% think girls who smoke have more friends

13.6% think boys and 24.5% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability — Current Smokers

11.0% usually smoke at home

30.2% buy cigarettes in a store

53.8% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

32.0% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

49.5% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

92.5% think smoking should be banned from public places

79.1% think smoke from others is harmful to them

33.7% have one or more parents who smoke

48.1% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

57.3% want to stop smoking

65.2% tried to stop smoking during the past year

65.1% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

86.7% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

84.8% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

68.1% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

13.0% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

8.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

68.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

39.3% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

60.4% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• Approximately 2 in 10 students currently use any form of tobacco; 15% of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 7% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—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; one third of the students have a parent who smokes and almost half of the students have friends who smoke.

• 8 in 10 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.