Table 6 Youth and Tobacco Survey, Russian Public Health Association (RPHA), 1999

This study is part of the Global Youth and Tobacco Survey (GYTS) undertaken in several countries around the world. The survey in Russia was designed to provide prevalence data on tobacco use among adolescents in school (13–16 years), and to better understand and assess students' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to tobacco. Information pertained to, for instance, age of initiation of tobacco use, perceived health risks and social benefits, extent of peer and advertising pressure, perception of the tobacco-related curriculum, and likelihood that tobacco users will quit. The survey raised awareness on the issue of smoking and youth. Several recommendations were made by the Association to Parliament on the basis of survey findings, including the adoption of legislation to limit tobacco advertising, to reduce the tar and nicotine content of cigarettes, and to have an impressive warning labeling on packages. Seminars and conferences on the survey results and their implications were held. The Association has prepared a report: "Tobacco or Health in Russia". Additionally, the President of the RPHA, as a result of the GYTS survey and the ground-breaking leadership role the RPHA played in tobacco control among youth in Russia, was a member of the delegation from the Russian Federation to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) – hence an example of the translation of applied research results into policy action.