Increasing Youth Tobacco Survey Response Rates: Could Seasonality Be a Factor? The Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) was developed in 1998 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) to provide states with data needed to design, implement, and evaluate comprehensive tobacco control programs. The YTS is a school-based survey of adolescents in grades 6 through 12 usually conducted only in public schools but also in private schools when a state elects to do so. State departments of health field the YTS during the fall or spring term of an academic year at their discretion.