Tobacco & Vaping 101: Canada

Canadian lawmakers often face misinformation regarding adult smoking and vaping habits. This misinformation can lead to misguided legislation and regulation. The analysis provided contains current data on the use of cigarettes and e-cigarette products among adults and youth in Canada, along with information on cigarette sales and provincial tobacco tax revenues.

Key Points: 

• In 2022, more than 3.5 million individuals (10.9 percent) aged 15 or older in Canada were currently smoking, a 6.9 percent increase from 2021.
• In 2022, 23.2 percent of persons in Canada were formerly smoking and 65.8 percent reported having never smoked.
• Smoking rates were highest among adults aged 45 years old older, which made up more than 59 percent of persons who were smoking in 2022
• In 2022, more than 1.9 million (5.8 percent) in Canada were using e-cigarettes, an 11.5 percent increase from 2021.
• In 2022, the most common flavor among Canadians currently using e-cigarettes was fruit flavors, with 53.4 percent of current vapers reporting using them.
• In 2022, among current Canadian e-cigarettes, the most cited reason for vaping was “to reduce stress” (21.7 percent), followed by 18.8 percent who were vaping for smoking cessation.
• In 2021-22, 4.1 percent of Canadian youth in Grades 7 through 12 were smoking cigarettes, a 24.1 percent decline from 2018-19.
• In 2021-22, 16.8 percent of youth were vaping, a 16.8 percent decline from 2018-19. Vaping rates decreased by 9 percent for youth in Grades 7 through 9, and decreased by 19.7 percent for youth in Grades 10 through 12.
• In 2021-22, among youth using e-cigarettes, the most cited reason for using e-cigarettes was to “relax or relieve tension” as reported by 20.5 percent of youth. Only 7.4 percent reported using e-cigarettes because of flavours.
• In 2021, more than 20.9 billion cigarette units were sold in Canada, a 9.5 percent decline from 2020, representing more than 2.2 billion fewer cigarettes sold.
• Despite declining smoking rates, Canada collected more than $3 billion in taxes from tobacco and vapor products in 2020-21, a 1.8 percent increase from the previous year.