Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

52.0% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 60.7%, Female = 42.9%)

25.9% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 31.7%, Female = 19.8%)

23.4% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 29.7%, Female = 17.3%)

7.8% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 8.6%, Female = 6.8%)

25.6% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

23.6% think boys and 36.5% think girls who smoke have more friends

14.5% think boys and 26.0% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

10.8% usually smoke at home

45.1% buy cigarettes in a store

43.5% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

48.3% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

56.6% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

89.3% think smoking should be banned from public places

72.2% think smoke from others is harmful to them

47.8% have one or more parents who smoke

56.2% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

58.8% want to stop smoking

66.7% tried to stop smoking during the past year

70.0% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

85.6% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

87.7% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

73.6% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

14.0% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

11.9% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

61.1% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

35.0% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

53.9% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• Over 2 in 10 students currently use any form of tobacco; 23.4% of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 7.8% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—almost 5 in 10 students live in homes where others smoke and over 5 in 10 are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; over 4 in 10 students have a parent who smokes and over half of the students have friends who smoke.

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

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

• 11.9% of the 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.