The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To preliminarily identify youths' knowledge, opinions and experiences related to tobacco behaviors and its toxicities.

Methods: Modified GYTS was used as research instrument. The multi-stages sampling was used to collect data. Out of 6,485, 6,405 students agreed to voluntarily participate. Descriptive data analysis, including frequency and percentage, was used to describe the data.

Results: The findings demonstrated that majority knew that tobacco had toxicities from teacher and mass media. Cancer and COPD were the two most identifiable results of smoking. Forty five percent of subjects reported that there was at least a smoker in household and also act as the source of passive smoking. Approximately, 10.1 % of subjects ever experienced smoking. Peer pressure and feeling of challenging were commonly found as precipitating factors to initiate smoking. The onset age of smoking was 13.78 (SD = 2.16). Friend was a major source providing tobacco. Their own home and school were the most common smoking place. Almost of all (90.7%) identified themselves as a secondhand smoker. Almost sixty percent (59.7 %) ever tried to quit smoking. Cold turkey was the most popular method to quit smoking. Their own home was a place for starting to quit smoking. The findings recommend that nurses proactively provide knowledge to both students and other student-related persons. Campaigns should be addressed both in preventing an initiation smoking and smoking cessation. Finally, promoting challenging and intriguing, as well as participatory atmosphere of smoking free school and home is indeed in need.