Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

26.5% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Boys = 28.4%, Girls = 23.9%)
15.5% currently use any tobacco product (Boys = 17.3%, Girls = 12.7%)
6.1% currently smoke cigarettes (Boys = 7.2%, Girls = 4.2%)
11.7% currently use other tobacco products (Boys = 13.2%, Girls = 9.8%)
19.6% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

34.6% think boys and 14.8% think girls who smoke have more friends
7.6% think boys and 3.8% think girls who smoke look more attractive

36.3% usually smoke at home
22.2% buy cigarettes in a store
* who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

21.6% live in homes where others smoke in their presence
50.6% are around others who smoke in places outside their home
71.4% think smoking should be banned from public places
66.3% think smoke from others is harmful to them
24.5% have one or more parents who smoke
4.8% have most or all friends who smoke

Cessation - Current Smokers

66.8% want to stop smoking
65.3% tried to stop smoking during the past year
53.5% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

81.3% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days
56.9% saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days
55.4% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days
16.2% have an object with a cigarette brand logo
10.6% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

47.3% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking
31.5% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke
42.1% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

* denotes cell size less than 35.

Highlights

• 15.5% of students currently use any form of tobacco; 6.1% currently smoke cigarettes; 11.7% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high–over 2 in 10 students live in homes where others smoke in their presence; 5 in 10 are exposed to smoke in public places; more than 2 in 10 have parents who smoke.

• More than 6 in 10 students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• Over 7 in 10 students think smoking in public places should be banned.

• Over 6 in 10 smokers want to stop smoking.

• 8 in 10 students saw anti-smoking media messages in the past 30 days; almost 6 in 10 students saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards in the past 30 days.