Canada: Smoking down but vaping up among high school students

While cigarette consumption has decreased among Canadian youth aged 16 to 19 over the period 2013-2019, vaping has increased significantly, according to a study.[1] from the University of Waterloo (Ontario).

A recent study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health examines the comparative evolution of e-cigarette and tobacco use between 2013-2014 and 2018-2019 in British Columbia (BC), Alberta, Ontario and Quebec among high school students (16 to 19 years old). The data come from the study COMPASS, a multi-year survey of youth in Canada designed to assess over time the effects of public policies on youth behavior.

The study results show that the rates of smokers and users of vaping products vary greatly by province and in a differentiated manner depending on the products concerned. For example, in Ontario, one in 10 high school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2016. In 2018-2019, a quarter reported being regular users. In British Columbia, however, the prevalence remained very high with nearly one in five high school students being regular users in 2016 and 2019. As for cigarette consumption, it decreased significantly in the four provinces during the study period, ranging from 6.5% high school students smoking in BC to 12% in Alberta, while the prevalence was 8.9% and 18.1% respectively in 2013.

Adam Cole, a public health researcher who led the study, said the rise in e-cigarette use is likely due to the fact that the devices are easier to hide, more pleasant to use, come in different flavors and are attractively portrayed on social media. In May 2018, vaping products containing nicotine were legalized with the passage of there Tobacco and Vaping Products Act which relaxed the regulation of vaping products by allowing them to be promoted. It was during this period that the JUUL brand established itself on the North American market, causing a significant increase in the consumption of vaping products among American and Canadian middle and high school students.