Over 10% of young teens across the world are smoking

Tobacco use, world’s first cause of preventable morbidity and mortality which leads to 6 million deaths every year, has a prevalence among young teens of approximately 11% worldwide.  

Cigarettes and cigars are the most common form of tobacco consumed across the world and most tobacco smokers begin smoking during adolescence, according to a study released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In its Global Youth Tobacco Survey, CDC analysed, from 2012 to 2015, data from 61 countries across the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions to examine the prevalence of current tobacco smoking and desire to quit smoking among students aged 13–15 years.

The median current tobacco smoking prevalence among students aged 13–15 years, across all 61 countries, was 10.7%, with the lowest share, 1.7%, being registered in Sri Lanka, and the highest, 35 percent, in Timor-Leste.

“In 2016, one in five high school students and one in 14 middle school students reported current use of a tobacco product on ≥1 of the past 30 days (3.9 million tobacco users). Moreover, 47.2% of high school students and 42.4% of middle school students who used a tobacco product in the past 30 days used ≥2 tobacco products. During 2015–2016, current use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) decreased among middle school students, and decreases in current use of any tobacco product, any combustible tobacco product, ≥2 tobacco products, e-cigarettes, and hookahs occurred among high school students. However, decreases in cigarette and cigar use during 2011–2016 were offset by increases in hookah and e-cigarette use, resulting in no significant change in any tobacco use. In 2016, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among high (11.3%) and middle (4.3%) school students,” according to CDC.

How tobacco smoking among the young teens differs from one region to another

In the African Region, current tobacco smoking prevalence ranged from 6.1% in Mozambique to 20.2% (Seychelles); in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, from 7.2% in Pakistan to 23.3% in Jordan; in the European Region from 2.4% in Tajikistan to 27.4% in Bulgaria; while in the Region of the Americas it varied from 5.8% in Paraguay to 22% in Argentina. Regarding South East Asian Region, the lowest level, 1.7%, was recorded in Sri Lanka, while the highest, 35%, in Timor-Leste. These two countries also represented the lowest and the highest shares. In Western Pacific Region, the minimum share, 3.5%, was in Vietnam, while the highest – 14.5% – in the Philippines.

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“By sex, the median current tobacco smoking prevalence was 14.6% among males (range = 2.9%, Tajikistan to 61.4%, Timor-Leste) and 7.5% among females (range = 1.6%, Tajikistan to 29.0%, Bulgaria),” CDC reports.

Among boys, the prevalence of current tobacco smoking by WHO region ranged from 5.5% in Mozambique to 25.6% in Seychelles in the African Region; 9.2% in Pakistan to 32.8% in Jordan in theEastern Mediterranean Region; 2.9% in Tajikistan to 28.6% in Lithuania in Europe; 5.9% in Paraguay to 20.2% in Argentina in the Region of the Americas; 20.7% in Thailand to 61.4% in Timor-Leste in South East Asian Region; and 6.3% in Vietnam to 20.5% Philippines in Western Pacific Region.

The prevalence of current tobacco smoking between girls by WHO region ranged African Region from 1.8% in Algeria to 15.2% in Seychelles; 4.1% in Pakistan to 13.4% Jordan in the Eastern Mediterranean Region; 1.6% in Tajikistan to 29% Bulgaria in the European Region; 5.7% in Paraguay to 23.7% in Argentina in the Region of the Americas; 3.4% in Indonesia to 15.4% in Timor-Leste in South East Asian Region; and 3% in Mongolia to 9.1% in the Philippines in Western Pacific Region.

Following the survey, CDC discovered that males had a higher prevalence of current tobacco smoking in 38 countries, while girls had a significantly higher prevalence of current tobacco smoking in one country, Portugal.

How many young teens want to quit smoking

“The prevalence of tobacco smoking is high among youths in many countries. However, many students who currently smoke report that they desire to quit. Implementing the evidence-based measures outlined in WHO’s MPOWER package can help reduce tobacco use among youths, as well as the estimated 1 billion tobacco-related deaths projected to occur during the 21st century if current trends persist,” CDC also noted.

“In the majority of countries assessed, the proportion of current tobacco smokers who desired to quit smoking exceeded 50%. These findings could be used by country level tobacco control programs to inform strategies to prevent and reduce youth tobacco use”.

In 40 of the 51 countries that collected data about the desire to quit, the proportion of students who reported current tobacco smoking and desired to quit exceeded 50%, with the proportion of students who desired to quit ranging from 32.1% in Uruguay to 90.2% in Philippines.

For the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, students were asked about the current (past 30-day) use of cigarettes and any form of smoked tobacco other than cigarettes. Current tobacco smoking was defined as smoking cigarettes or other smoked tobacco products on one or more days during the past 30 days.