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The Argentina - Buenos Aires 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 some of the components Argentina could include in a comprehensive tobacco control program. The Argentina – Buenos Aires GYTS was a school-based |
survey of students in grades 1-3, conducted in 2000. A two-stage cluster sample design was used to produce representative data for all of Buenos Aires. At the first stage, schools were selected with probability proportional to enrollment size. At the second stage, classes were randomly selected and all students in selected classes were eligible to participate. The school response rate was 95.7%, the student response rate was 88.5%, and the overall response rate was 84.7%. A total of 2254 students participated in the Argentina –Buenos Aires GYTS. |
Prevalence60.0% of students had ever smoked cigarettes 32.8% currently use any tobacco product 30.2% currently smoke cigarettes 8.7% currently use other tobacco products 25.1% of never smokers are likely to initiate smoking next year Knowledge and Attitudes8.6% think boys and 9.1% think girls who smoke have more friends 12.0% think boys and 7.8% think girls who smoke look more attractive 65.9% think smoke from others is harmful to them Access and Availability - Current Smokers12.0% usually smoke at home 63.6% buy cigarettes in a store 93.0% who bought cigarettes in a store were NOT refused purchase because of their age Environmental Tobacco Smoke69.6% live in homes where others smoke 87.6% are around others who smoke in places outside their home 67.5% think smoking should be banned from public places 58.6% have one or more parents who smoke 27.6% have most or all friends who smoke Cessation - Current Smokers47.4% want to stop smoking 51.6% tried to stop smoking during the past year 62.2% have ever received help to stop smoking Media and Advertising16.9% saw a lot of anti-smoking media messages 60.4% saw a lot of pro-smoking media messages 18.3% have an object with a cigarette brand logo 10.4% were offered free cigarettes by a tobacco company representative School35.0% had been taught about the dangers of smoking in class during the past year 24.6% had discussed reasons why people their age smoke in class during the past year 23.1% had been taught the effects of tobacco use in class |
Highlights • Current cigarette smoking is very high; use of other tobacco products is low. • 1 in 4 never smokers are likely to start smoking this year. • 2/3 think smoke from others is harmful to them. • Over 6 in 10 students think smoking in public places should be banned. • ETS exposure is very high—almost 6 in 10 parents smoke. • 6 in 10 saw a lot of pro-cigarette smoking media messages; less than 2 in 10 saw a lot of anti-smoking media messages. Recommendations
• Legislation banning smoking in public places is needed. • A youth cessation program is needed. • Effective tobacco use
prevention curricula need to be accessible to more students. |