Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

57.8% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 63.3%, Female = 51.4%)

31.2% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 35.8%, Female = 26.0%)

27.5% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 31.7%, Female = 22.9%)

9.4% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 11.1%, Female = 7.3%)

29.3% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

28.1% think boys and 40.8% think girls who smoke have more friends

16.6% think boys and 28.3% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

10.2% usually smoke at home

51.0% buy cigarettes in a store

59.5% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

38.6% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

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

86.4% think smoking should be banned from public places

70.1% think smoke from others is harmful to them

42.0% have one or more parents who smoke

55.7% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

61.6% want to stop smoking

63.3% tried to stop smoking during the past year

68.1% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

83.9% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

84.3% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

72.5% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

16.2% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

14.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

63.0% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

34.3% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

54.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• One third of the students currently use any form of tobacco; 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.