Abstract
ObjectivesE-cigarettes are an increasingly popular product among youth in Canada. However, there is a lack of long-term data presenting trends in use. As such, the objective of this study was to examine trends in e-cigarette and cigarette use across various demographic characteristics between 2013 and 2019 among a large sample of secondary school youth in Canada.MethodsUsing repeat cross-sectional data from a non-probability sample of students in grades 9 to 12, this study explored trends in the prevalence of ever and current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking between 2013–2014 and 2018–2019 in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Trends in ever and current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking were studied across demographic variables among students in Ontario.ResultsThe prevalence of e-cigarette ever and current use was variable across province and increased over time, particularly between 2016–2017 and 2018–2019. In contrast, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking was relatively stable over the study period, decreasing significantly in Alberta and Ontario between 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. In Ontario, the prevalence of ever and current e-cigarette use increased among all grades, both genders, and all ethnicities.ConclusionConsistent with data from the United States, the prevalence of e-cigarette use among our large sample of Canadian youth has increased substantially in a short period of time. Surveillance systems should continue to monitor the prevalence of tobacco use among youth. Additional interventions may be necessary to curb e-cigarette use among Canadian youth.
Highlights
Declines in combustible cigarette use have been observed over the last two decades both nationally and globally (Arrazola et al 2015; Reid et al 2017)
Most trend data for youth e-cigarette use are from the United States (USA), where tobacco and e-cigarette policies are different from those in Canada
The prevalence of current cigarette smoking was fairly consistent in Alberta and Ontario between 2013–2014 and 2015–2016, the prevalence was significantly lower in 2018–2019 relative to 2017–2018
Summary
Declines in combustible cigarette use have been observed over the last two decades both nationally and globally (Arrazola et al 2015; Reid et al 2017). Up until May 2018, e-cigarettes containing nicotine were not legally available for sale in Canada, while these types of e-cigarettes were widely available in the USA While both the USA and Canada have minimum legal age restrictions for purchasing e-cigarettes, some states have recently raised the minimum legal age to 21 in order to make it more difficult for youth to access these products, while the minimum legal age in Canada remains 18 or 19 years (depending on the province (Tobacco and Vaping Products Act 2018)). These variations in e-cigarette policies between countries can influence e-cigarette use rates across the population
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