Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electronic cigarettes in Canada: Prevalence of use and perceptions among youth and young adults

  • Quantitative Research
  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence and perceptions of electronic cigarette use among Canadian youth and young adults.

METHODS: A sample of 1,188 youth and young adults age 16–30 years were recruited from an online panel of Canadians in 2012. After viewing an image of an e-cigarette, respondents answered questions regarding their use and perceptions of e-cigarettes.

RESULTS: Close to half of respondents (43.4%) had seen e-cigarettes advertised or for sale. A total of 1 6.1 % reported trying an e-cigarette (5.2% non-smokers, 1 8.9% former smokers, and 34.5% current smokers), and 5.7% reported use in the past 30 days (0.8% non-smokers, 1.4% former smokers, and 15.0% current smokers). Compared to non-smokers, former smokers and current smokers were more likely to have tried e-cigarettes (OR=4.25 and OR=9.84, respectively), and current smokers were more likely to have tried e-cigarettes than former smokers (OR=2.32). Current smokers were also more likely to be current users of e-cigarettes than both former smokers (OR=15.15) and non-smokers (OR=4.43). Smokers were interested in trying e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking (80.4%), as a long-term replacement for cigarettes (77.8%), or to use in places where they cannot smoke (80.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of e-cigarettes among surveyed youth and young adults is quite high. Almost one fifth (16.1 %) of participants reported trying e-cigarettes, with evidence of use among non-smokers.

Résumé

OBJECTIF: L’objectif de cette étude était d’examiner la prévalence de l’utilisation de la cigarette électronique ainsi que sa perception chez les jeunes et les jeunes adultes canadiens.

MÉTHODE: Un échantillon de 1 188 jeunes et jeunes adultes âgés de 16 à 30 ans a été recruté en 2012 à partir d’un panel en ligne de Canadiens. Après avoir visionné une image de e-cigarette, les participants répondaient à des questions relatives à leur utilisation et à leurs perceptions des e-cigarettes.

RÉSULTATS: Quasiment la moitié des participants (43,4 %) avaient déjà vu des e-cigarettes en vente ou des publicités relatives à des e-cigarettes. Un total de 16,1 % ont indiqué avoir déjà essayé la e-cigarette (5,2 % de non-fumeurs, 18,9 % d’anciens fumeurs et 34,5 % de fumeurs), et 5,7 % ont rapporté une utilisation au cours des 30 derniers jours (0,8 % de non-fumeurs, 1,4 % d’anciens fumeurs, et 15,0 % de fumeurs). Les anciens fumeurs et les fumeurs étaient davantage susceptibles d’avoir déjà essayé la e-cigarette (OR=4,25 et OR=9,84, respectivement) par rapport à des non-fumeurs, et les fumeurs étaient davantage susceptibles d’avoir déjà essayé la e-cigarette que des anciens fumeurs (OR=2,32). Les fumeurs étaient également davantage susceptibles d’être des utilisateurs de e-cigarettes que les anciens fumeurs (OR=15,15) ou que les non-fumeurs (OR=4,43). Les fumeurs étaient intéressés par la e-cigarette comme une aide pour arrêter de fumer (80,4 %), comme un substitut à long terme aux cigarettes (77,8 %), ou pour une utilisation dans des lieux non-fumeurs (80,9 %).

CONCLUSIONS: Les e-cigarettes sont relativement bien connues parmi les jeunes et les jeunes adultes interrogés. Quasiment 1 participant sur 5 (16,1 %) rapporte avoir déjà essayé la e-cigarette, avec une utilisation rapportée chez les non-fumeurs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cahn Z, Siegel M. Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: A step forward or a repeat of past mistakes? J Public Health Policy 2011;32(1):16–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Etter J-F. The Electronic Cigarette: An Alternative to Tobacco? Geneva, Switzerland: Jean-Francois Etter, 2012;1–125.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Non-Smokers’ Rights Association. The Buzz on E-Cigarettes, 2012. Available at: http://www.nsra-adnf.ca/cms/file/files/e-cig%20Brochure%20FINAL.pdf (Accessed February 1, 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Felberbaum M. Marlboro maker Altria jumping into e-cigarettes. Available at: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/marlboro-maker-altria-jumping-e-cigarettes (Accessed June 26, 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Noel JK, Rees VW, Connolly GN. Electronic cigarettes: A new ‘tobacco’ industry? Tobacco Control 2011;20:81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ayers JW, Ribisl KM, Brownstein JS. Tracking the rise in popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (electronic cigarettes) using search query surveillance. Am J Prev Med 2011;40(4):448–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Henningfield JE, Zaatari GS. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: Emerging science foundation for policy. Tobacco Control 2010;19(2):89–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Pepper JK, Brewer NT. Electronic nicotine delivery system (electronic cigarette) awareness, use, reactions and beliefs: A systematic review. Tobacco Control 2013;0:1–10. doi: 10.1136.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Etter J, Bullen C. A longitudinal study of electronic cigarette users. Addict Behav 2013, Epub Oct30, doi: 10.1016.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kralikova E, Novak J, West O, Kmetova A, Hajek P. Do e-cigarettes have the potential to compete with conventional cigarettes? Chest 2013;144(5):1609–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Lee S, Grana RA, Glantz SA. Electronic cigarette use among Korean adolescents: A cross-sectional study of market penetration, dual use, and relationship to quit attempts and former smoking. J Adolesc Health 2013, Epub Nov22, doi: 10.1016.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sutfin EL, McCoy TP, Morrell HER, Hoeppner BB, Wolfson M. Electronic cigarette use by college students. Drug and Alcohol Depend 2013;131:214–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Health Canada. Health Canada advises Canadians not to use electronic cigarettes, 2009. Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_53-eng.php (Accessed March 1, 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Adkison SE, O’Connor RJ, Bansal-Travers M, Hyland A, Borland R, Yong H, et al. Electronic nicotine delivery systems: International Tobacco Control Four-Country Survey. Am J PrevMed 2013;44(3):207–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Reid JL, Hammond D, Burkhalter R, Rynard VL, Ahmed R. Tobacco Use in Canada: Patterns and Trends, 2013. Available at: http://www.tobaccoreport.ca/2013/ (Accessed March 22, 2013).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    Christine D. Czoli BSc, David Hammond PhD & Christine M. White MSc

Authors
  1. Christine D. Czoli BSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Hammond PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christine M. White MSc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Hammond PhD.

Additional information

Sources of Funding: This research was supported by a grant from the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, as well as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Training Grant in Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention: A Pan-Canadian Program (Grant #: 53893) (Czoli), the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit Ashley Studentship for Research in Tobacco Control (Czoli), the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (Czoli), the Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, a Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award (Hammond), and a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Junior Investigator Research Award (Hammond).

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Czoli, C.D., Hammond, D. & White, C.M. Electronic cigarettes in Canada: Prevalence of use and perceptions among youth and young adults. Can J Public Health 105, e97–e102 (2014). https://doi.org/10.17269/cjph.105.4119

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/cjph.105.4119

Keywords

Mots clés

Search

Navigation