The South Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey (SCYTS) is a comprehensive survey designed to evaluate prevalence of tobacco use, age of initiation and access to tobacco products. It also includes data on school curriculum, knowledge and attitudes, attitudes toward cessation and readiness to quit, mass media influences, and secondhand smoke exposure. As a surveillance tool, SCYTS monitors key behaviors and attitudes toward tobacco. As an evaluation tool, the survey is intended to document the Division of Tobacco Prevention and Control's progress over time, to recognize groups at risk and to identify areas to strengthen the Division's activities and strategies.
The SCYTS was conducted in 2005, 2006, 2007, 20091 and 20112. A two-stage cluster sample design was used to select a representative sample of public middle (containing any of grades 6-8) and high school students (containing any of grades 9-12) in South Carolina. In the first-stage schools were selected with probability proportional to school enrollment size. In all, 50 middle schools and 50 high schools were chosen. The second sampling stage consisted of systematic equal probability sampling of approximately two classes from each school. All students in the selected classes were eligible to participate in the survey. The high school response rate was 86%. The high school student response rate was 78.3% yielding an overall response rate (school rate x student rate) of 67.3% for high school. In 2011, a total of 1,411 high school students completed the SCYTS.
Prevalence57.1% of students had ever used any tobacco product (Male 63.3%, Female 50.6%) Secondhand Smoke (SHS)28.1% live in homes where others smoke Cessation - Current Smokers43.1% want to quit smoking Pro-health Media vs Tobacco Advertising62% saw or heard anti-smoking media messages in the past month School30.3% were taught the dangers of tobacco in the past year Access and Availability - Current Smokers < 18 years old19.3% buy cigarettes in stores |
High School HighlightsMore than 5 in 10 students have ever used tobacco; 33% currently use some form of tobacco; 24% currently smoke cigarettes; 12% currently use smokeless tobacco (spit, chew or dip). SHS exposure is very high - more than 5 in 10 students were in the same room with smokers during the week. About 9 in 10 students think smoke from others is harmful to them. More than 40% of current smokers want to quit smoking. More than 6 in 10 students saw or heard antismoking media messages in the past month. More than two-thirds were NOT taught the dangers of tobacco at school in past year. Great majority of students (9 of every 10) say they have NOT smoked on school property Less than 1 in 10 students said that their school had a program to help students quit. |
1 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 SCYTS results
2 Detailed 2011 YTS tables including 95% confidence intervals are available upon request.
3 New and emerging tobacco products include roll-your-own cigarettes, flavored cigarettes, clove cigars, flavored little cigarettes, smoking from hookah or a waterpipe, snus, dissolvable products, E-cigarettes or some other new tobacco product.