Exposure to environmental smoke and cigarette smoking among youth: a double whammy 1Laila Bano , 2Syed M Shah Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Punjab University, Lahore Pakistan University, Al Ain, UAE Objective: Few data is available to environmental exposure to tobacco (secondhand smoking) and its sourcesamong youth in United Arab Emirates. We conducted this study to estimate the prevalence of secondhand smoking and cigarette smoking in youth aged 12 to 19 years. Methods: We selected a random sample of 1585 youth 9 schools in Al Ain. Information on tobacco use was determined from self-administered questionnaire. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as kg/m2 and BMI >=85thand <95th percentile were used to define overweight and obesity according to the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Results:Among the participants 905 reported exposure to secondhand smoke. A high proportion of girls (54%) reported exposure to secondhand smoke compared to boys (33%) and this difference was significant statistically (p<0.05). The source of exposure to secondhand smoke included friends (66%), family members (17%) and public places (17%).Out of the total participants 1586, a majority (1576) responded to the question about cigarette smoking. Of those respondents 290 (18.3%) reported use of cigarettes. Six percent were current smokers while 12% smoked cigarettes in the past. There was no significant difference in use of cigarettes between local Emirati students (18.2%) and non-locals (18.5%). A high proportion (31%) of boys reported use of cigarette compared to girls (4%). The prevalence of smoking was 15% among youth who were overweight and 23% in obese. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking particularly exposure to secondhand tobacco is major health hazard in youth.