Tobacco & Vaping 101: Nova Scotia

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 Nova Scotia, along with information on cigarette sales and provincial tobacco tax revenues.

Key Points: 

• In 2022, 883,717 individuals (12 percent) aged 15 or older in Nova Scotia were currently smoking, a 4.8 percent decrease from 2021. Smoking rates in the province are 9.6 percent higher than Canada’s national average.
• In 2022, 26.8 percent of persons in Nova Scotia were formerly smoking and 61.2 percent reported having never smoked.
• Smoking rates were highest among adults aged 20 to 24 years old, which was 6.5 percent higher than the overall provincial smoking rate, and 49.8 percent higher than the national average in the same age group.
• In 2022, 52,139 individuals (5.9 percent) in Nova Scotia were using e-cigarettes, a 20.4 percent increase from 2021. The provincial vaping rate is 1.7 percent higher than the national average of 5.8 percent.
• In 2021-22, 2.7 percent of Nova Scotia youth in Grades 7 through 12 were smoking cigarettes, a 40 percent decline from 2018-19.
• In 2021-22, 23 percent of youth were vaping, an 8.4 percent decline from 2018-19. Vaping rates decreased by 8.1 percent for youth in Grades 7 through 9, and by 10.2 percent for youth in Grades 10 through 12.
• In 2021-22, among youth using e-cigarettes, among the least cited reasons for using e-cigarettes was flavors, as reported by only 6.1 percent of youth. Comparatively, 28.4 percent reported being addicted to them and 17.9 percent reported using them to “relax or relieve stress.”
• In 2021, more than 744 million cigarette units were sold in Nova Scotia, a 6.8 percent decline from 2020, representing 55 million fewer cigarettes sold.
• Despite declining smoking rates, Nova Scotia collected over $208 million in provincial taxes from tobacco and vapor products in 2020-21, a 13.7 percent increase from the previous year.