Tobacco Use among 13-15 Year Old Students in the Philippines, 2000-2003

Nathan R. Jones, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Marina Miguel-Baquilod, World Health Organization (WHO)
Burke Fishburn, World Health Organization (WHO)
Charles Warren, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Jonathan Santos, World Health Organization (WHO)
Samira Asma, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Tobacco use is one of the major preventable causes of premature death and disease in the world. A disproportionate share of the global tobacco burden falls on developing countries where 84% of the 1.3 billion current smokers live. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) monitors youth tobacco use, attitudes, and exposure to tobacco smoke and has been completed by over 1.4 million students in 133 countries. This report presents findings from the 2000 and 2003 Philippines GYTS that indicate significant reductions in the proportion of students who currently smoke cigarettes, who currently use other tobacco products, are likely to start smoking in the next year, and are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. The findings also indicate a significant increase in the proportion of students who support bans on smoking in public places, have learned about dangers of tobacco use in school, and have seen anti-tobacco messages in media and advertising.