Other tobacco use by age

Bar chart showing prevalence of use in the past 30 days for various tobacco products, by age group, in 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

In 2020, use of cigarillos21 varied significantly by age group, although use of cigars22 did not; other tobacco products were not tested due to low numbers. Young people aged 15-24 reported the highest prevalence of cigarillo and cigar use; prevalence appears to decrease into adulthood (Figure 4.5).

Between 1999 and 2020, this pattern of higher use among the younger age groups, declining with increasing age, applied to cigar/cigarillo use in nearly all years with available data (Figure 4.6). Use of cigars/cigarillos appears to have increased over time in all age groups until around 2008, after which prevalence generally decreased. This pattern was particularly pronounced among young people aged 15-24,  among whom declines were steepest, though with less change in the most recent years. Little change over time was observed among those aged 45+.

Figure 4.5 data table with 95% confidence interval
Figure 4.5: Prevalence of use (%) in the past 30 days for various tobacco products, by age group, 2020
Product 15-24 25-44 45+
Cigarillos 2.3 [1.7-3.0] 2.0 [1.0-3.0] 1.3 [0.9-1.7]
Cigars 1.6 [1.1-2.2] 1.1 [0.7-1.5]
Chewing tobacco/Pinch/Snuff ! ! !
Waterpipe ! ! !

*Age groups over 25 combined due to low numbers.
! Estimates for pipe, chewing tobacco/snuff, and waterpipe use suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Note: Estimates for pipe use were suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data source: Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2020.

Figure 4.6 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 4.6: Prevalence of use (%) in the past 30 days for cigars/cigarillos*, by age group, 1999-2020
  15-19 20-24 25-34 35-44 45+
1999 6.0 7.7 5.3 2.9 1.6
2000 6.4 6.2 4.5 3.5 2.0
2003 6.0 [5.2-6.8] 5.8 [4.7-6.8] 6.6 [4.8-8.5] 3.2 [2.2-4.2] 1.1 [0.7-1.5]
2004 8.0 [6.9-7.1] 7.6 [6.3-8.9] 5.0 [3.5-6.5] 4.5 [3.1-5.9] 1.7 [1.2-2.3]
2005 10.2 [8.9-11.6] 9.4 [7.8-11.1] 6.0 [4.1-7.8] 4.6 [3.2-6.0] 1.9 [1.4-2.4]
2006 9.2 [8.1-10.3] 11.3 [9.8-12.8] 5.3 [3.8-6.8] 3.1 [2.0-4.2] 2.0 [1.4-2.5]
2007 12.3 [10.8-13.8] 12.2 [10.7-13.8] 7.0 [5.1-8.9] 4.0 [2.8-5.2] 2.3 [1.8-2.9]
2008 10.5 [9.2-11.8] 14.8 [13.0-16.5] 6.0 [4.1-8.0] 5.1 [3.4-6.8] 3.0 [2.2-3.7]
2009 9.7 [8.4-11.0] 13.0 [11.3-14.8] 5.0 [3.6-6.5] 4.4 [2.9-5.9] 2.1 [1.6-2.6]
2010 7.9 [6.6-9.1] 9.7 [8.3-11.2] 5.3 [3.6-7.0] 3.6 [2.1-5.2] 1.9 [1.5-2.5]
2011 6.2 [5.1-7.3] 8.4 [7.1-9.7] 6.1 [3.8-8.4] 2.0 [1.0-2.9] 1.6 [1.1-2.1]
2012 6.0 [5.1-7.0] 8.9 [7.1-10.6] 8.6 [5.3-11.8] 3.4 [1.9-4.8] 1.7 [1.2-2.3]
2013 4.9 [3.7-6.1] 7.1 [5.4-8.8] 3.8 [2.3-6.7] 3 [1.6-4.4] 2.2 [1.5-2.8]
2015 3.4 [2.3-4.4] 6.7 [5.1-8.3] 2.7 [1.5-3.8] 2.3 [1.1-3.5] 1.7 [1.2-2.2]
2017 2.7 [1.6-3.9] 4.9 [3.4-6.4] **2.5 [1.4-3.7] 1.0 [0.5-1.5]
2019 3.0 [1.9-4.1] 5.0 [3.4-6.7] **3.3 [2.1-4.5] 2.3 [1.7-2.8]
2020 **3.4 [2.6-4.1] **3.0 [1.9-4.1] 1.8 [1.4-2.3]

*Prior to 2007, cigars and cigarillos were grouped together in a single questionnaire item; from 2007-2017, they were asked as two separate items and combined in the analysis.
**Age groups 15-19 and 20-24 combined in 2020, and 25-34 and 35-44 combined in 2017, 2019, and 2020, due to low numbers.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.