Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

57.3% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 68.2%, Female = 46.8%)
33.2% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 40.8%, Female = 25.6%)
28.4% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 36.9%, Female = 20.4%)
13.7% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 16.4%, Female = 11.1%)
30.2% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

20.2% think boys and 18.7% think girls who smoke have more friends
16.9% think boys and 13.2% think girls who smoke look more attractive

15.6% usually smoke at home
55.7% buy cigarettes in a store
79.4% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

44.1% live in homes where others smoke in their presence
60.7% are around others who smoke in places outside their home
79.3% think smoking should be banned from public places
54.6% think smoke from others is harmful to them
44.3% have one or more parents who smoke
18.0% have most or all friends who smoke

Cessation - Current Smokers

60.9% want to stop smoking
73.8% tried to stop smoking during the past year
75.8% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

75.1% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days
79.6% saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days
72.7% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days
18.3% have an object with a cigarette brand logo
16.1% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

46.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking
24.2% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke
38.5% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• Three out of 10 students currently use any form of tobacco; over one quarter of the students currently smoke cigarettes; approximately 14% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high–almost half the students live in homes where others smoke and 5 out of 8 students are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; almost half of the students have a parent who smokes and almost one in five students have friends who smoke.

• Over half of the students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• Three out of 5 current smokers want to stop smoking.

• 16% of the students were offered a free cigarette by a tobacco company representative.

• Three quarters of the students saw anti-smoking media messages in the past 30 days; 4 in 5 students saw pro-cigarette ads in the past 30 days.