Statistics & Research
Cigarette Use
| Ever Smoked | Current Smokers (daily) | Current Smokers (Occasionally) | Age of first cigarette | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | 18% | 1.3% | 2% | 13.6 | |||
| 2018-2019 | 19% | 0.9% | 2% | 13.7 |
In 2018-19, 19% of students in grades 7 to 12 (approximately 402,000) had ever tried smoking a cigarette, even just a puff. In grades 7 to 9, 9% of students had ever tried smoking a cigarette and in grades 10 to 12, 29% of students reported the same. These results were unchanged from 2016-17.
In 2018-19, 3% of students in grades 7 to 12 (approximately 59,000 students) were current cigarette smokers, with 1% smoking daily and 2% smoking occasionally. The prevalence of current smoking (3%) was unchanged from 2016-17.
The prevalence of current daily smoking decreased among students in grades 7 to 12 to 0.9% (approximately 19,000 students) from 1.3% in 2016-17. There was a decrease in current daily smoking among students in grades 10 to 12 to 1% from 2% in 2016-17; current daily smoking (0.4%) was unchanged from 2016-17 for grades 7 to 9.
The average age at which students in grades 7 to 12 first tried smoking, even just a puff, was 13.7 years, unchanged from 2016-17.
Smoking by Province
In 2018-19, the prevalence of having ever tried smoking a cigarette ranged from a low of 15% in Ontario to a high of 35% in Saskatchewan among students in grades 7 to 12. The prevalence of current smoking ranged from a low of 3% in Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia to a high of 8% in Saskatchewan.
Source of Cigarettes
The majority (84%) of students who smoked in the past 30 days obtained their cigarettes from social sources rather than retail sources, an increase from 78% in 2016-17. Social sources include friends, family, and others, regardless of whether the cigarettes were given freely, paid for, or stolen. Accessing cigarettes through social sources was higher among students in grades 7 to 9 (94%) than those in grades 10 to 12 (82%).
Over half of students in grades 7 to 12 (58%) thought it would be “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get a cigarette if they wanted one. About a quarter (27%) of grade 7 to 12 students thought it would be “difficult” or “very difficult” to get a cigarette, and 15% were not sure.
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