Global Youth Tobacco Survey
Data Release Policy
Introduction
Tobacco is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide.
Tobacco control requires an efficient and systematic surveillance mechanism
to monitor trends in its consumption. The Global Tobacco Surveillance System
(GTSS) addresses this need through its three components: the Global Youth Tobacco
Survey (GYTS), the Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS), and the Global Health
Professional Survey (GHPS).
The GYTS, a school-based survey of students aged 13–15 years, collects and
disseminates information on prevalence of tobacco use and consumption, media
and advertising coverage, exposure to secondhand smoke, access and availability
of tobacco products, cessation of tobacco use, and school curricula that incorporate
issues related to tobacco use. The GYTS was developed in late 1998 and initiated
in 1999 to assist countries in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating
their comprehensive tobacco control programs to protect young people from using
tobacco.
This data release policy paper has been developed as a series of discussions
between the lead agencies—the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The purpose of this paper is to define
the partners' roles formally, state the policies and procedures for data collecting
and processing, and state details regarding release of the GYTS data. This paper
is to ensure standardization of country-level GYTS development and serve as
a reference guide for GYTS implementation and dissemination.
Page last reviewed 03/12/2007
Page last modified 03/12/2007