Canada has some of the highest teen vaping rates in the world, new data shows
CBC
New national data shows the number of Canadian teenagers regularly using e-cigarettes ranks among the highest in the world, and experts say a lack of action from the federal government and the widespread availability of flavoured vapes is fuelling a growing crisis.
The latest results from Health Canada's Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, which surveyed 61,096 teenagers in grades 7 to 12 from nine provinces between September 2021 and June 2022, found that 29 per cent of Canadian students had ever tried an e-cigarette.
That number is down slightly overall in Canada, from 34 per cent in 2018-19, but is higher in older age groups — with 41 per cent of students in grade 10 to 12 ever having vaped.
Regular use of e-cigarettes also continues to be widespread in Canada, with 17 per cent of students having used an e-cigarette in the past month, down slightly from 20 per cent in 2018-19, but is again higher in grades 10 to 12 with over 24 per cent being monthly users.
Daily vaping rates were eight per cent across all students surveyed and close to 12 per cent among those in grades 10 to 12 — which experts say are some of the highest ever reported globally.
"The numbers have confirmed that Canada has one of the highest youth vaping rates in the world, especially as it relates to daily vaping," said David Hammond, a public health professor at the University of Waterloo and a leading Canadian youth vaping researcher.
"We've essentially plateaued at historically high levels of daily vaping … this is maybe the best indication out there that we're in for a long haul of regular youth vaping — we've crossed the threshold of this being a fad."
The numbers are higher than they were five years ago, when just 10 per cent of students had used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days and 11 per cent reported daily use in 2016-2017 — signalling a growing problem showing no signs of slowing down.
The new youth vaping survey data also partially predates the widespread availability of disposable vapes that came onto the market last year and hold thousands of pre-loaded puffs, don't require refilling or cartridges and are linked to a surge in youth vaping.
"We're very concerned by the long-term issue that e-cigarette use by teenagers continues to be very high — unacceptably high," said Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society.
"And we need the federal government to move immediately to ban flavoured e-cigarettes, a factor that is contributing to these high rates."
When asked what flavour they preferred, the survey showed 63 per cent of students in grades 7 to 12 who vaped in the past month had used a fruit flavour most often.
"There is no doubt that flavours are a very big part of youth vaping — they appeal to kids, they're one of the reasons why they start trying vaping in the first place, and fruit flavours and candy flavours are a big part of that," said Hammond.
"The main reason adults vape is to help them quit or not to die from smoking — flavours has a much bigger relative influence in youth vaping than it does for adults."
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