Vaping Goes Viral Among Teenagers – Federal Surveys Show
Photo Credit: Mike Mozart via Flickr
It is no secret that many Eric Hamber students vape in school restrooms. But vaping is not an issue unique to Hamber. In fact, Canada has one of the highest rates of teenage student e-cigarette users in the world, according to surveys from the federal government.
An electronic cigarette, more commonly known as a vape, is a battery-powered device that heats up a liquid containing nicotine to produce an aerosol that is respirated. In Canada, it is illegal for children and teenagers to vape. However, according to a survey by Health Canada, tens of thousands of teenagers still vape, regardless of the law. When surveyed, 59 per cent of students in grades 7 to 12 reported that getting an e-cigarette was "fairly easy" or "very easy" if they wanted to obtain one.
Vaping was once seen as a healthier alternative to smoking, originally being marketed as a cigarette replacement to those who wanted to quit smoking. Vaping has been growing in popularity among Canadian teenagers. For example, Juul, known for its discreet flash drive-like design, has targeted minors in its ads.
The Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey from Health Canada, the federal department which oversees health, indicates that the percent of students in grades 7 to 12 who have tried an e-cigarette has experienced a notable decline, falling from 34 per cent in 2018-2019 to 29 per cent in 2021-2022. These percent distributions become more polarized when separated by grade levels. 18 per cent of students in grades 7 to 9 have experimented with e-cigarettes, while a significantly higher proportion of students in grades 10 to 12 — 41 per cent — have done so.
Furthermore, students in grades 7 to 12 who identify as transgender, gender diverse, and/or questioning, show a higher prevalence of having ever used e-cigarettes, at 18 per cent. Comparatively, the percentages are slightly lower among males, at 26 per cent, compared to females, at 32 per cent.
The proportion of students in grades 7 to 12 who used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days decreased slightly, from 20 per cent in 2018-2019 to 17 per cent in 2021-2022. Notably, the prevalence of such recent e-cigarette use is higher among students in grades 10 to 12, with 24 per cent of them reporting to have used an e-cigarette compared to the significantly lower 10 per cent among those in grades 7 to 9.
Among students in grades 7 to 12 who have used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days, 11 per cent also admitted to currently using traditional smoking cigarettes. Additionally, 13 per cent of these individuals reported having formerly smoked or experimented in smoking, suggesting a potential uprising in the popularity of smoking because of an increase in the use of e-cigarettes.
In 2018, the Canadian government passed the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act to regulate the production, sale, labeling, and promotion of tobacco and vaping products, with the aim of suppressing vaping. Despite its passage, Health Canada’s recent survey show that vaping is still extremely common among teenagers, prompting advocates to call for stricter regulations.
"The federal government has frankly been missing in action," said Ottawa-based heart specialist and physician Dr. Andrew Pipe in an interview with CBC, in regards to regulation of vaping products.
Pipe is still also pressing for the regulations of vape flavors that attract teenagers, urging action at the federal level. He stated in a tweet that “regulations addressing [vape] flavours are anticipated...important components of any regulation package.”