Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

43.5% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Boys = 44.7%, Girls = 41.9%)

19.7% currently use any tobacco product (Boys = 19.5%, Girls = 19.3%)

17.2% currently smoke cigarettes (Boys = 16.6%, Girls = 17.4%)

6.1% currently use other tobacco products (Boys = 7.0%, Girls = 4.9%)

18.7% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

19.7% think boys and 17.0% think girls who smoke have more friends

7.5% think boys and 3.8% think girls who smoke look more attractive

7.8% usually smoke at home

40.0% buy cigarettes in a store

70.2% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

30.0% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

51.5% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

81.5% think smoking should be banned from public places

75.1% think smoke from others is harmful to them

28.4% have one or more parents who smoke

Cessation - Current Smokers

52.2% want to stop smoking

59.4% tried to stop smoking during the past year

23.0% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

87.2% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days

81.7% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

13.1% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

6.7% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

46.5% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

35.8% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

43.4% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• 20% of students currently use any form of tobacco; 17% currently smoke cigarettes; 6% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure indicates that 3 in 10 students live in homes where others smoke in their presence; over 5 in 10 are exposed to smoke in public places; nearly 3 in 10 have parents who smoke.

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

• Over 8 in 10 students think smoking in public places should be banned.

• Over 5 in 10 smokers want to quit.

• Almost 9 in 10 students saw anti-smoking media messages in the past 30 days; over 8 in 10 students saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines in the past 30 days.