Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

40.5% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 38.7%, Female = 41.1%)

18.0% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 17.3%, Female = 17.5%)

15.0% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 13.7%, Female = 15.0%)

4.7% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 5.3%, Female = 4.3%)

15.8% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

18.6% think boys and 14.4% think girls who smoke have more friends

6.5% think boys and 4.2% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

22.4% usually smoke at home

44.7% buy cigarettes in a store

82.6% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

37.5% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

54.2% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

85.8% think smoking should be banned from public places

75.3% think smoke from others is harmful to them

36.8% have one or more parents who smoke

12.1% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

78.3% want to stop smoking

77.9% tried to stop smoking during the past year

76.1% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

86.8% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

67.6% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

51.4% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

4.6% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

8.6% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

43.4% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

27.3% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

41.3% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• 18.0% of students currently use any form of tobacco; 15% of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 4.7% currently use some other form of tobacco.

• ETS exposure is high—over one third of the students live in homes where others smoke and over half of the students are exposed to smoke around others outside of the home; over one third of the students have a parent who smokes and 12% of the students have friends who smoke.

• Three–quarters of students think smoke from others is harmful to them.

• Over three–quarters of the current smokers want to stop smoking.

• Nearly 9% of students were offered a free cigarette by a tobacco company representative.

• Over 8 in 10 students saw antismoking media messages in the past 30 days; Over two–thirds of students saw pro–cigarette ads in the past 30 days.