Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)
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In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) began the development of the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS) with the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). It is a school-based survey that is targeted towards youth aged 13-15 years old.
Common regional themes
- Small gap in how much girls and boys use tobacco, and in the majority of countries, even more girls than boys use tobacco
- More girls than boys that never smoked were more likely to start within the next year
- Large number of youth that bought cigarettes in a store were not refused purchase because of age
- High percentage of youth exposed to tobacco smoke in public places and at home
- Large support among youth for banning smoking in public places
- Slightly more than half of students reported learning about the harmful effects of smoking in school
- Percentage of youth 13-15 years of age who tried their first cigarette before age 10
