Primary Research for the Data on Youth and Tobacco in Africa (DaYTA) program, DaYTA

Tobacco usage rates are on the rise in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Adolescents are especially vulnerable to taking up tobacco use at a young age in some African countries because the tobacco industry aggressively markets to them. Most of the available evidence captures data from 13- to 15-year-olds even though evidence from Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) shows that the age of smoking initiation among young people ranges from as young as 7 years old to about 16 years old. The lack of data on adolescent tobacco use in African countries limits policymakers’ ability to make data-informed decisions on tobacco control policies. The problem that the study aims to address is the lack of quality and timely primary data on adolescent tobacco use which significantly inhibits the country’s ability to appropriately target efforts, engage county governments to action, and increase global attention and funding for adolescent health.