Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)

Prevalence

47.5% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 48.0%, Female = 46.0%)

23.6% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 24.6%, Female = 20.5%)

18.4% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 18.9%, Female = 16.4%)

8.7% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 10.3%, Female = 6.0%)

22.6% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year
 

Knowledge and Attitude

21.1% think boys and 36.0% think girls who smoke have more friends

13.6% think boys and 26.8% think girls who smoke look more attractive
 

Access and Availability—Current Smokers

14.5% usually smoke at home

31.7% buy cigarettes in a store

66.4% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age
 

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

36.3% live in homes where others smoke in their presence

48.0% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

88.7% think smoking should be banned from public places

76.4% think smoke from others is harmful to them

34.7% have one or more parents who smoke

61.5% have most or all friends who smoke
 

Cessation—Current Smokers

50.1% want to stop smoking

51.9% tried to stop smoking during the past year

65.2% have ever received help to stop smoking
 

Media and Advertising

83.0% saw antismoking media messages, in the past 30 days

86.1% saw pro–cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

75.3% saw pro–cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

15.5% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

10.6% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative
 

School

62.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

36.2% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

52.7% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Highlights

• Approximately one quarter of the students currently use any form of tobacco; 18% of the students currently smoke cigarettes; 9% currently use some other form of tobacco.

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

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

• Half of the current smokers want to stop smoking.

• 1 in 10 students was offered a free cigarette by a tobacco company representative.

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