Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

33.6% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Boys = 36.8%, Girls = 30.1%)

23.8% currently use any tobacco product (Boys = 24.3%, Girls = 22.5%)

14.0% currently smoke cigarettes (Boys = 15.4%, Girls = 12.3%)

13.0% currently use other tobacco products (Boys = 12.3%, Girls = 13.1%)

18.3% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

16.8% think boys and 11.7% think girls who smoke have more friends

14.4% think boys and 9.7% think girls who smoke look more attractive

24.6% usually smoke at home

25.0% buy cigarettes in a store

80.9% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

41.8% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

59.3% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

82.9% think smoking should be banned from public places

60.8% think smoke from others is harmful to them

34.8% have one or more parents who smoke

10.4% have most or all friends who smoke

Cessation - Current Smokers

61.8% want to stop smoking

69.3% tried to stop smoking during the past year

73.7% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

85.6% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days

89.5% saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

86.8% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

25.0% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

26.2% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

74.5% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

46.5% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

64.7% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• 23.8% of students currently use any form of tobacco; 14.0% currently smoke cigarettes; 13.0% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure indicates that–4 out of 10 students live in homes where others smoke in their presence and 60% are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; over one third of the students have a parent who smokes.

• Six out of ten students think smoke from others is harmful to them and over 80% think that smoking should be banned from public places.

• Six out of ten current smokers want to stop smoking.

• One quarter 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 but 90% of the students saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards in the past 30 days.