Quebec: significant consumption of vaping products with high nicotine levels among adolescents

At the end of October, the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec published the results of theQuebec survey on tobacco and vaping products 2020[1]The main findings of the study are that vaping is much more common among adolescents than among older people, with 18.1% of 15-17 year-olds reporting regular vaping compared to 2.4% of 35-64 year-olds. Their use involves products with a high nicotine concentration.

This study was conducted among 13,355 Quebecers aged 15 and over. This is the first cross-sectional survey in Quebec on vaping products, with a second edition planned for 2023. The objectives of this study were to describe the use of vaping products and the behaviors associated with them, as well as the perceptions of Quebecers aged 15 and over regarding the consumption of these products in 2020.

Teens See a Craze for Vaping Products

According to the survey results, the average prevalence of vaping in the previous 30 days is 4.1 % among all Quebecers aged 15 and over, higher among men (4.7%) than among women (3.5%). This prevalence is considerably higher among adolescents aged 15 to 17 (18 %) and young adults aged 18-24 (15 %) than among adults aged 25-34 (5 %) and those aged 35-64 (2 %).

According to the authors of this study, several other surveys have already repeatedly shown that the prevalence of vaping is higher among adolescents and young adults than among the older population. For example, according to data from the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS), the prevalence of vaping among high school students increased from 8% to 17% between 2015 and 2019 in Quebec and from 6% to 18% in the rest of Canada during the same period.

The prevalence of smoking in Quebec continues to decline. Among high school students, the prevalence of cigarette use increased from 30% in 1998 to 4% in 2019. In terms of dual use, 21% of 15-24 year-olds regularly consume tobacco and vaping products compared to 8% among people aged 25 and over.

Teens Are Using High-Nicotine Vaping Products

The study reveals that adolescents and young adults (15 to 24 years old) use vaping products with nicotine exceeding 20 mg/ml (i.e. a concentration of 2%) in a greater proportion than their elders. More than 8 out of 10 adolescent consumers (82.2%) use e-cigarettes containing more than 2% of nicotine, they are 55% among young adults aged 18 to 24, 32% among 25-34 year olds and 21% among 35 year olds and over. The authors warn that this could lead to addiction more quickly among young people who are more sensitive to the effects of nicotine on their brain.

This consumption can be explained by the fact that adolescents (15-17 years) and young adults (18-24 years) prefer to use electronic cigarettes with pre-filled disposable cartridges. There are 61 % and 54 % respectively who use this type of product (of the JUUL type which contains very high concentrations of nicotine, up to 60 mg/ml), while consumers in the 25-34 and 35-64 age groups use a device with a tank to be filled with liquid (58 % and 77 % respectively).

In July 2021, the Canadian government adopted a regulation that now prohibits the sale of vaping products with a nicotine concentration greater than 20 mg/ml, as is currently the case in the European Union.

Three-quarters of young people do not consider themselves addicted but say they are aware of the risks of vaping

Nearly two-thirds of vapers (66 %) perceive themselves as being little or not at all dependent on vaping products, including a higher proportion among 15-24 year-olds (75 %).

About 60% of young people aged 15 to 24 consider that regular use of vaping products with nicotine poses a high health risk. As for those aged 35 and over, more than 80% consider that regular use of vaping poses a health risk. Women are generally more likely to think that vaping products pose a health risk than men (80% v/ 71%).

Friends or family, the main source of supply for minors

According to the results, the age of the consumer significantly influences the source of supply of vaping products. 7 out of 10 consumers over the age of 35 mainly buy their products from specialty stores, this is the case for 28 % of 15-17 year olds. The latter also obtain their products from their friends and family (47 %). There is a ban on the sale of tobacco and vaping products to minors included in the Quebec Act respecting the fight against smoking (Government of Quebec, 2015). Its application for vaping products would therefore benefit from being strengthened according to the authors.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE