New Brunswick

New Brunswick in 2020

  • Smoking prevalence: 9.7% (62 000 smokers), compared to 16.7% in 2019.
    • Males: estimate suppressed.
    • Females: estimate suppressed.
  • Average daily cigarette consumption: 14.6 cigarettes per day, compared to 13.7 in 2019.
  • Average price per pack (20 cigarettes): $13.64.

Smoking prevalence

In 2020, smoking prevalence in New Brunswick was 9.7%, just below the national average of 10.3%.

Figure 2.21 shows smoking prevalence, overall and among males and females, in New Brunswick from 1999-2020. During this time, overall prevalence decreased by more than half, despite some fluctuation. Prevalence was fairly consistently greater among males than females in most years, although similar in a few, including the most recent available.

Line graph showing current smoking prevalence among males and females in New Brunswick from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2.21 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.21: Current smoking prevalence* (%) among males and females, New Brunswick, 1999-2020
  NB Males Females
1999 26.5 30.5 22.6
2000 26.6 27.0 26.3
2001 25.0 [22.7-27.3] 27.2 [23.8-30.6] 22.9 [19.6-26.2]
2002 21.1 [19.0-23.1] 23.2 [20.0-26.4] 19.0 [16.6-21.4]
2003 24.3 [22.0-26.7] 25.4 [21.9-28.9] 23.3 [20.4-26.2]
2004 24.2 [21.9-26.5] 26.5 [22.8-30.2] 22.0 [19.1-25.0]
2005 21.8 [19.5-24.0] 23.8 [20.1-27.5] 19.8 [17.0-22.6]
2006 22.6 [20.3-24.8] 26.1 [22.6-29.6] 19.2 [16.5-21.9]
2007 21.2 [19.1-23.3] 23.9 [20.5-27.3] 18.6 [16.0-21.2]
2008 19.9 [17.9-22.0] 22.4 [19.2-25.7] 17.5 [14.7-20.4]
2009 21.3 [19.2-23.5] 23.9 [20.5-27.3] 18.9 [16.2-21.5]
2010 19.2 [17.2-21.2] 22.1 [18.8-25.4] 16.5 [13.8-19.1]
2011 18.8 [16.4-21.1] 21.7 [18.3-25.1] 16 [12.9-19.1]
2012 17.3 [15.1-19.6] 18.6 [15.1-22.1] 16.1 [13.0-19.2]
2013 19.6 [16.7-22.5] 24.1 [19.5-28.7] 15.3 [11.8-18.8]
2015 14.2 [11.4-17.0] 16.3 [12.2-20.4] 12.2 [9.0-15.4]
2017 13.7 [10.0-17.5] 13.9 [8.3-19.6] 13.5 [8.2-18.9]
2019 16.7 [11.5-21.8] ! !
2020 9.7 [6.2-13.2] ! !

* Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimates for males and females in 2019 and 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
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.

Figure 2.22 shows smoking prevalence by age group in New Brunswick, from 1999-2020. While data for the most recent years is not reportable for most age groups, the available data indicate that smoking prevalence decreased in all age groups during this time; the largest decrease was among youth aged 15-19, whose 2017 smoking rate was approximately one-fifth of the 1999 estimate.

Figure 2.22 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.22: Current smoking prevalence* (%) by age group, New Brunswick, 1999-2020
  15-19 20-24 25-44 45+ Overall
1999 27.4 35.8 30.2 21.3 26.5
2000 29.9 35.8 31.1 20.5 26.6
2001 24.6 [20.4-28.8] 39.2 [33.4-45.1] 32.5 [28.3-36.8] 16.3 [13.2-19.5] 25.0 [22.7-27.3]
2002 17.6 [14.5-20.7] 30.8 [26.4-35.3] 26.9 [22.8-31.0] 15.3 [12.2-18.5] 21.1 [19.0-23.1]
2003 21.6 [17.3-25.9] 32.4 [27.2-37.6] 31.4 [26.9-35.9] 18.0 [15.0-21.1] 24.3 [22.0-26.7]
2004 17.7 [13.6-21.7] 32.4 [27.8-37.1] 31.6 [27.1-36.1] 18.4 [15.3-21.6] 24.2 [21.9-26.5]
2005 17.9 [13.5-22.2] 30.1 [24.9-35.2] 28.9 [24.3-33.5] 16.1 [13.1-19.1] 21.8 [19.5-24.0]
2006 15.7 [12.3-19.1] 32.1 [27.6-36.7] 25.8 [21.7-29.9] 20.0 [16.9-23.1] 22.6 [20.3-24.8]
2007 16.8 [13.4-20.3] 24.0 [19.4-28.7] 28.7 [23.9-33.4] 16.6 [13.9-19.4] 21.2 [19.1-23.3]
2008 14.1 [11.0-17.3] 29.0 [24.0-34.1] 22.7 [18.2-27.1] 17.8 [14.8-20.7] 19.9 [17.9-22.0]
2009 15.7 [11.8-19.5] 27.3 [22.4-32.3] 26.8 [22.4-31.3] 18.0 [15.1-20.9] 21.3 [19.2-23.5]
2010 11.9 [8.6-15.3] 28.7 [23.2-34.1] 25.8 [21.0-30.6] 15.2 [12.6-17.7] 19.2 [17.2-21.2]
2011 13.8 [9.4-18.2] 25.1 [20.0-30.2] 22.2 [16.9-27.6] 16.7 [13.7-19.6] 18.8 [16.4-21.1]
2012 14.0 [8.0-20.1] 26.4 [20.5-32.4] 21.1 [15.9-26.3] 14.5 [11.9-17.2] 17.3 [15.1-19.6]
2013 12.4 [7.8-17.1] 28 [20.8-35.1] 27.1 [20.1-34.1] 15.5 [12.2-19.0] 19.6 [16.7-22.5]
2015 ! 21.1 [14.3-28.0] 15.6 [10.7-20.6] 13.4 [9.6-17.2] 14.2 [11.4-17.0]
2017 5.8 [3.3-8.2] 20.1 [13.2-26.9] 11.0 [4.6-17.3] 15.2 [9.5-20.9] 13.7 [10.0-17.5]
2019 ! ! ! ! 16.7 [11.5-21.8]
2020 ! ! ! 13.0 [7.7-18.3] 9.7 [6.2-13.2]

* Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimate suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
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.

Cigarette consumption

Between 1999 and 2020, average daily cigarette consumption in New Brunswick decreased by nearly 4 cigarettes per day, although this decline was not steady (Figure 2.23). Male smokers consumed considerably more cigarettes per day than female smokers in most years with available data, but consumption was more similar in the most recent survey years reported.  

Figure 2.23 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.23: Average daily cigarette consumption* (mean cigarettes per day) by sex, New Brunswick, 1999-2020
  NB Males Females
1999 18.3 19.5 16.8
2000 19.0 21.0 16.9
2001 17.6 [16.4-18.8] 19.9 [18.1-21.7] 14.9 [13.7-16.1]
2002 16.2 [15.0-17.5] 17.6 [15.7-19.5] 14.7 [13.5-16.0]
2003 16.4 [15.2-17.5] 18.7 [17.1-20.3] 14.0 [12.7-15.3]
2004 16.7 [15.7-17.6] 18.5 [17.2-19.9] 14.5 [13.4-15.7]
2005 16.9 [15.8-18.0] 18.1 [16.4-19.8] 15.6 [14.1-17.0]
2006 15.3 [14.3-16.3] 16.7 [15.1-18.3] 13.3 [12.1-14.5]
2007 17.3 [15.9-18.6] 20.2 [18.4-22.1] 13.3 [12.0-14.6]
2008 15.5 [14.4-16.6] 17.8 [16.3-19.3] 12.9 [11.3-14.5]
2009 16.1 [14.9-17.3] 17.5 [15.7-19.4] 14.3 [12.8-15.8]
2010 17.4 [15.7-19.1] 20.0 [17.5-22.6] 14.1 [12.3-15.8]
2011 16.3 [15.0-17.6] 18.6 [16.8-20.4] 13.3 [11.5-15.0]
2012 15.2 [14.0-16.5] 16.9 [15.2-18.7] 13.3 [11.8-14.8]
2013 14.3 [12.8-15.8] 16.2 [14.0-18.3] 11.3 [9.9-12.7]
2015 15.5 [13.8-17.1] 16.0 [13.7-18.4] 14.8 [12.4-17.2]
2017 12.8 [10.6-14.9] 13.8[10.7-16.9] 12.2 [9.4-14.9]
2019 13.7 [9.5-17.9] ! !
2020 14.6 [11.4-17.8] ! !

*Among daily smokers.
! Estimates for males and females in 2019 and 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
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.