Tobacco & Vaping 101: Prince Edward Island

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 Prince Edward Island, along with information on cigarette sales and provincial tobacco tax revenues.

Key Points: 

• In 2022, 18,665 individuals (13.1 percent) aged 15 or older in Prince Edward Island were currently smoking, a 52.1 percent increase from 2021. Smoking rates in the province are 20.2 percent lower than Canada’s national average.
• In 2022, 26.9 percent of persons in Prince Edward Island were formerly smoking and 59.9 percent reported having never smoked.
• Smoking rates were highest among adults aged 25 to 44 years old, which was 24.2 percent higher than the overall provincial smoking rate, but 42 percent higher than the national average in the same age group.
• In 2022, 8,834 individuals (6.2 percent) in Prince Edward Island were using e-cigarettes, a 4.6 percent decrease from 2021. The provincial vaping rate is 6.2 percent higher than the national average of 5.8 percent.
• In 2021-22, 2 percent of Prince Edward Island youth in Grades 7 through 12 were smoking cigarettes, a 62.3 percent decline from 2018-19.
• In 2021-22, 26.6 percent of youth were vaping, a 0.4 percent decline from 2018-19.
• In 2021-22, among youth using e-cigarettes, the least cited reason for using e-cigarettes was flavors, as reported by only 4.6 percent of youth. Comparatively, 20.3 percent reported being addicted to them and 16.8 percent reported using them to “relax or relieve stress.”
• In 2021, more than 168 million cigarette units were sold in Prince Edward Island, a 27.8 percent increase from 2020, representing an additional 36.6 million cigarettes sold.
• Despite declining smoking rates between 2020 and 2021, Prince Edward Island collected more an estimated $31.9 million in provincial taxes from tobacco and vapor products in 2020-21, an 11.9 percent increase from the previous year.