The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was initiated in 1999 as joint effort by the WHO, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Canadian Public Health Association.

    Students from more than 130 countries responded to questions by GYTS about tobacco during 1999-2005, including personal use, secondhand exposure and advertising.

    The countries were divided into six geographic regions: Africa, Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific.

    The report indicates that 17.3 percent of all respondents reported that they currently use some type of tobacco product. The overall rates of cigarette smoking and other tobacco use are 8.9 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively.

    Current cigarette smoking is highest in the European and American regions (17.9 percent and 17.5 percent respectively) and lowest in the South-East Asian, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific regions.

    In all regions, the use of other tobacco products is generally more common among boys than among girls.

    The new findings come in anticipation of the WHO's World No Tobacco Day, which is held every year on May 31. The theme for this year is "Tobacco: Deadly in Any Form or Disguise," emphasizing that it's not just cigarette smoking that is harmful. Enditem

(Agencies)