Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

53.4% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Boy = 62.7%, Girl = 41.9%)
28.8% currently use any tobacco product (Boy = 32.5%, Girl = 24.2%)
24.7% currently smoke cigarettes (Boy = 29.4%, Girl = 18.9%)
10.4% currently use other tobacco products (Boy = 11.8%, Girl = 8.8%)
25.5% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

23.5% think boys and 21.5% think girls who smoke have more friends
19.8% think boys and 15.5% think girls who smoke look more attractive

14.8% usually smoke at home
55.6% buy cigarettes in a store
73.6% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

40.6% live in homes where others smoke in their presence
56.9% are around others who smoke in places outside their home
78.5% think smoking should be banned from public places
60.3% think smoke from others is harmful to them
42.8% have one or more parents who smoke
15.3% have most or all friends who smoke

Cessation - Current Smokers

61.1% want to stop smoking
60.9% tried to stop smoking during the past year
73.6% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

75.2% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days
79.1% saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days
71.3% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days
16.2% have an object with a cigarette brand logo
13.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

56.7% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking
28.4% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke
44.9% 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; approximately 1 in 4 currently smoke cigarettes; 10% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high–almost half the students live in homes where others smoke and 57% are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; almost half of the students have a parent who smokes and approximately one in five students have friends who smoke.

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

• 6 out of 10 current smokers want to stop smoking.

• 13% of the students were offered a free cigarette by a tobacco company representative.

• Over 8 in 10 students saw anti-smoking media messages in the past 30 days; approximately 4 out of 5 students saw pro-cigarette ads in the past 30 days.