The survey was conducted among all students in their final year of high school. Total number of respondents = 908. Observation suggests that smoking rates might be even higher in other sections of Dakar.

• 36% of students surveys had tried smoking at least once, including nearly 50% of male students.
  
  
• Most students started smoking between the ages of 12-18, with a peak around age 16.
  
  
• Students spend a considerable amount of money on cigarettes. (Per capita 1998 GNP = about 850 cfa)
  
  0-50 cfa 32.5%
  55-100 cfa 14.4%
  105-150 cfa 8.6%
  155-200 cfa 5.3%
  205-250 cfa 8.1%
  255-300 cfa 3.3%
  300 cfa< 4.7%
  
  
• Tobacco advertising is omnipresent in students' lives. Places students have seen advertising, listed in descending order:
  
  Radio 73%
  Concert 64.5%
  Television 64.3%
  Store 57.8%
  Sport event 45.6%
  
  
• Students have been heavily targeted by the tobacco industry
  
  55.6% have attended a concert sponsored by a cigarette brand
  34.4% have been offered a free cigarette by a tobacco industry representative
  19.2% own a tobacco brand promotional item
  
  
• Marlboro advertisements are the most popular. Of students indicating a cigarette brand advertisement preference:
  
  Marlboro 76.7%
  Excellence 16.5%
  Dunhill 6.8%
  
  
• Not surprising, Marlboro is also by far the most popular cigarette among youth indicating a brand preference.
  
  59.5% - Marlboro
  9.5% - Excellence
  5.3% - Dunhill
  
  
• The vast majority of students hold the U.S. in high regard. Many of words students use to describe the Marlboro Man are similar to those they use to describe the U.S. (adventure, freedom, Texas, Western etc.)

-- survey conducted by Anna White