Exploring the Use of Tobacco among School Age Students in Kabul city, Afghanistan

Background: Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Approximately 5.4 million people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses (which is about 7% of all deaths) -- a figure expected to increase to more than eight million a year by 2030. If current trends continue, tobacco use may kill a billion people by the end of this century. It is estimated that more than three quarters of these deaths will be in low- and middle-income countries. To combat tobacco epidemic through identifying interventions/approaches to prevent tobacco related diseases and deaths, update data and studies on tobacco use is necessary. The GYTS is a global standard for systematically monitoring youth tobacco use (smoking and smokeless) and tracking key tobacco control indicators. Method: YTS is a cross-sectional, nationally representative school-based survey of students in grades associated with ages 13 to 15 years. GYTS uses a standard core questionnaire, sample design, and data collection protocol.The YTS employs a standard methodology whitself-administered questionnaires. Results:Data are presented from 5 schools in Kabul city. Current use of any tobacco product ranges from 10.1% to 5.6%, with high rates of smoked tobacco use in boys. Current cigarette smoking ranges from 8.0% to less than 3.7%, with nearly 25% of students who smoke, having smoked their first cigarette before the age of 10 years. Exposure to advertising is high (75% of students had seen pro-tobacco ads);more than 10% of students had something with a tobacco brand logo on it. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is very high in all countries, 35.3% of students were exposed to tobacco smoke in public places. Only about half of the students reported that they had been taught in school about the dangers of smoking during the year preceding the survey. About 47% of thought smoking is harmful to them, and 72.4% of students favored prohibiting smoking inside enclosed public places. Conclusion: Valid and reliable data on the extent of youth tobacco use, and correlates of use, are essential to plan and evaluate tobacco use prevention programs. The survey has proven the feasibility of an inexpensive, standardized, nationwide surveillance system for youth tobacco use. The survey will be expanded to the majority of provinces in the next few years, and can serve as a baseline for monitoring and evaluating national tobacco control efforts, data shows that boys are more tobacco users thangirls; it is double among boys, itshows that amongcurrent users of cigarettes boys are using four times more than girls, so preventive interventions should focus on adolescents especially adolescent boys.More than one thirdof students were exposed to second hand smoke in closed public areas, enforcement of law for banning of tobacco use in closed public places is vital.