The Philippines GYTS includes data on prevalence of cigarette and other tobacco use as well as information on five determinants of tobacco use: access/availability and price, environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETS), cessation, media and advertising, and school curriculum. These determinants are components the Philippines could include in a comprehensive tobacco control program.

The school response rate was 90.0%, the student response rate was 88.7%, and the overall response rate was 79.8%. A total of 11,630 students participated in the Philippines GYTS.

Prevalence

42.8% of students had ever smoked cigarettes (Male = 57.0%, Female = 32.0%)

27.1% currently use any tobacco product (Male = 37.3%, Female =18.4%)

21.6% currently smoke cigarettes (Male = 32.6%, Female =12.9%)

13.6% currently use other tobacco products (Male = 18.3%, Female = 9.5%)

26.5% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year

Knowledge and Attitudes

25.8% think boys and 13.9% think girls who smoke have more friends

13.8% think boys and 8.9% think girls who smoke look more attractive
Access and Availability – Current Smokers

18.5% usually smoke at home

44.8% buy cigarettes in a store

46.6% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age

Environmental Tobacco Smoke

60.1% live in homes where others smoke

74.6% are around others who smoke in places outside their home

39.2% think smoking should be banned from public places

41.2% think smoke from others is harmful to them

56.3% have one or more parents who smoke

10.6% have most or all friends who smoke

Cessation – Current Smokers

84.8% want to stop smoking

84.0% tried to stop smoking during the past year

90.5% have ever received help to stop smoking

Media and Advertising

83.4% saw anti-smoking media messages, in the past 30 days

84.4% saw pro-cigarette ads on billboards, in the past 30 days

80.4% saw pro-cigarette ads in newspapers or magazines, in the past 30 days

17.8% have an object with a cigarette brand logo

17.6% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative

School

58.6% had been taught in class, during the past year, about the dangers of smoking

57.7% had discussed in class, during the past year, reasons why people their age smoke

64.1% had been taught in class, during the past year, the effects of tobacco use

Source:Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS)