Linking Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) Data to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: The Case for Indonesia Tjandra Y. Aditama a, ⁎ , Julianty Pradono b , Khalilul Rahman c , Charles W. Warren d , Nathan R. Jones d , Samira Asma d , Juliette Lee d a Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia b Ministry of Health, Indonesia c World Health Organization, South East Asia Region, New Delhi, India d Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA Available online 10 May 2008 Abstract Objectives. Indonesia has the fifth highest rate of annual cigarette consumption per person of all countries worldwide. The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was developed to provide data on youth tobacco use to countries for their development of youth-based tobacco control programs. Data in this report can be used as baseline measures for future evaluation of the tobacco control program implemented by Indonesia's Ministry of Health. Methods. The 2006 Indonesia GYTS is a school-based survey that included separate samples for Java and Sumatera, representing more than 84% of the population of Indonesia. Each sample used a two-stage cluster sample design that produced representative samples of students in secondary grades 1–3, which are associated with ages 13–15 years. Results. This report shows that more than 1 in 10 students (12.6%) currently smoked cigarettes, with the prevalence among boys (24.5%) significantly higher than among girls (2.3%). Of the students who currently smoked, more than 7 in 10 (75.9%) reported that they desired to stop smoking now. Regarding secondhand smoke exposure, more than 6 in 10 students (64.2%) reported that they were exposed to smoke from other people in their home during the week before the survey. More than 9 in 10 students (92.9%) had seen a lot of advertisements for cigarettes on billboards during the past month and more than 8 in 10 (82.8%) had seen a lot of advertisements for cigarettes in newspapers or in magazines. Conclusions. Tobacco control in Indonesia will likely not move forward until the government evaluates and strengthens existing laws, considers passing new strong laws, and develops protocols for enforcing all laws. The Indonesian government also should strongly consider accession to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. © 2008 Pan American Health Organization. Keywords: Adolescents; Tobacco use; Tobacco control Introduction Tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of premature death, disease, and disability in the world (Davis and Smith, 1991; Novick, 2000). Nearly 5 million people die annually from tobacco-related illnesses, and this number is expected to more than double by the year 2020 (Peto and Lopez, 2001; Wen et al., 2005; Warren et al., 2006). Indonesia is the fifth largest consumer of cigarettes in the world, with an estimated 215 billion cigarettes consumed per year (Tjandra, 2006). The 2004 Indonesian National Health Survey (INHS) showed that 34.5% of adult Indonesians currently smoke, suggesting there are more than 60 million smokers (Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, 2005). In response to the tobacco pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MOH) passed a decree banning smoking in all health facilities, and the Ministry of Education has a policy banning smoking on school premises. In early 2006, the Jakarta Provincial Government issued a decree declaring all schools, hospitals, religious facilities, and public transportation smoke-free and issued a decree partially banning smoking in offices, malls, and shopping centers. Other local governments in Indonesia (Bogor City and Cirebon City) have Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Preventive Medicine 47 (2008) S11 – S14 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: doctjand@indosat.net.id (T.Y. Aditama). www.elsevier.com/locate/ypmed 0091-7435/$ - see front matter © 2008 Pan American Health Organization. Readers of this article may copy it without the copyright owner's permission, if the author and publisher are acknowledged in the copy and copy is used for educational, not-for-profit purposes. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.05.003