Newfoundland & Labrador

Newfoundland & Labrador in 2020

  • Smoking prevalence: 14.8% (65 000 smokers) compared to 14.5% in 2019.
    • Males: estimate suppressed.
    • Females: estimate suppressed.
  • Average daily cigarette consumption: 13.3 cigarettes per day, compared to 11.1 in 2019.
  • Average price per pack (20 cigarettes): $15.25.

Smoking prevalence

In 2020, smoking prevalence in Newfoundland and Labrador was 14.8%, well above the national average of 10.3%, and the highest among all provinces.

Figure 2.30 shows smoking prevalence, overall and among males and females, in Newfoundland and Labrador from 1999-2020. Overall prevalence decreased steadily until 2005 before plateauing for a decade, and then decreasing in the most recent waves. Prevalence estimates were higher among males than females in most years with available data, but similar in several instances.

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

Figure 2.30 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.30: Current smoking prevalence* (%) among males and females, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1999-2020
  NL Males Females
1999 28.5 32.2 24.9
2000 27.7 29.0 26.5
2001 25.7 [22.9-28.5] 30.2 [26.2-34.2] 21.3 [17.9-24.7]
2002 24.1 [21.6-26.5] 26.8 [22.7-30.8] 21.5 [18.5-24.5]
2003 23.0 [20.8-25.2] 25.5 [22.0-29.1] 20.5 [17.6-23.5]
2004 21.8 [19.5-24.2] 23.3 [20.0-26.6] 20.4 [17.3-23.5]
2005 20.6 [18.3-22.8] 22.3 [18.7-25.8] 18.9 [16.0-21.8]
2006 21.7 [19.6-23.8] 25.8 [22.5-29.2] 17.7 [15.2-20.3]
2007 21.2 [18.8-23.5] 23.5 [20.0-27.1] 18.9 [16.1-21.7]
2008 20.2 [18.2-22.3] 22.5 [19.1-25.8] 18.1 [15.5-20.7]
2009 20.7 [18.4-22.9] 24.0 [20.4-27.6]  17.5 [14.8-20.2]
2010 20.0 [17.9-22.2] 20.3 [16.8-23.9] 19.7 [16.9-22.5]
2011 19.0 [16.8-21.1]  21.0 [17.8-24.3] 17.0 [14.0-19.9]
2012 19.7 [17.4-22.0] 23.1 [19.2-26.9] 16.5 [13.8-19.2]
2013 19.5 [17.0-22.0] 19 [15.5-22.5] 19.9 [16.4-23.5]
2015 18.5 [15.8-21.1] 23.1 [19.0-27.2] 14.0 [10.8-17.2]
2017 20.1 [14.6-25.5] 21.7 [13.5-29.9] 18.5 [11.6-25.4]
2019 14.5 [10.0-19.1] 17.1 [10.5-23.7] !
2020 14.8 [9.6-19.9] ! !

*Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimates for females in 2019, 2020 and males in 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 2.31 shows smoking prevalence by age group in Newfoundland and Labrador, 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 substantially in younger age groups over this time, but changed little among those aged 45 and older. The largest decrease observed was among youth aged 15-19, whose smoking rate had dropped to approximately one-third of the 1999 estimate by 2017.

Figure 2.31 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.31: Current smoking prevalence* (%) by age group, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1999-2020
  15-19 20-24 25-44 45+ Overall
1999 29.9 37.2 34.6 20.9 28.5
2000 28.4 40.0 38.2 16.2 27.7
2001 22.0 [18.3-25.8] 41.4 [35.7-47.1] 31.8 [27.5-36.2] 18.3 [14.1-22.5] 25.7 [22.9-28.5]
2002 22.2 [18.3-26.2] 35.6 [29.2-42.0] 30.1 [25.1-35.2] 17.5 [14.3-20.8] 24.1 [21.6-26.5]
2003 22.0 [18.1-25.9] 34.3 [28.7-39.9] 28.9 [24.3-33.5] 16.6 [13.7-19.6] 23.0 [20.8-25.2]
2004 21.1 [17.6-24.7] 33.5 [28.0-39.1] 28.6 [23.6-33.6] 15.0 [12.3-17.6] 21.8 [19.5-24.2]
2005 19.0 [14.9-23.1] 28.3 [23.2-33.3] 22.5 [18.2-26.8] 18.2 [1.2-21.3] 20.6 [18.3-22.8]
2006 16.2 [12.6-19.8] 33.3 [28.3-38.2] 27.7 [23.3-32.1] 16.9 [14.2-19.6] 21.7 [19.6-23.8]
2007 16.8 [13.4-20.3] 30.8 [24.9-36.7] 25.8 [21.4-30.2] 17.5 [14.6-20.5] 21.2 [18.8-23.5]
2008 14.7 [11.7-17.7] 28.2 [23.0-33.3] 25.1 [20.3-29.9] 17.0 [14.3-19.7] 20.2 [18.2-22.3]
2009 16.0 [12.7-19.4] 29.4 [24.4-34.4] 27.7 [22.9-32.5] 16.1 [13.1-19.0] 20.7 [18.4-22.9]
2010 15.1 [11.3-18.9] 32.9 [27.0-38.9] 26.8 [21.6-31.9] 15.2 [12.4-18.0] 20.0 [17.9-22.2]
2011 11.1 [8.3-13.9] 25.0 [19.8-30.1] 24.5 [19.9-29.1] 16.2 [13.3-19.1] 19.0 [16.8-21.1] 
2012 12.2 [9.2-15.2] 23.6 [18.8-28.4] 24.7 [19.6-29.8] 17.6 [14.6-20.6] 19.7 [17.4-22.0]
2013 12.4 [8.0-16.8] 28.1 [20.9-35.3] 24.3 [18.4-30.3] 16.8 [13.8-19.8] 19.5 [17.0-22.0]
2015 ! 25.2 [18.0-32.5] 18.2 [13.2-23.2] 18.5 [15.0-22.0] 18.5 [15.8-21.1]
2017 10.0 [5.6-14.4] 24.2 [11.5-36.9] ! 19.7 [13.2-26.2] 20.1 [14.6-25.5]
2019 ! ! ! 15.7 [9.8-21.7] 14.5 [10.0-19.1]
2020 ! ! ! ! 14.8 [9.6-19.9]

* Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimates for age 15-19 in 2015, 2019, 2020, age 20-24 in 2019, 2020, age 25-44 in 2017-2020, and age 45+ in 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.

Cigarette consumption

Between 1999 and 2020, average daily cigarette consumption in Newfoundland & Labrador decreased overall, though with a sharp uptick in 2017, particularly among males (Figure 2.32). Male smokers consumed considerably more cigarettes per day than female smokers in all years with available data.

Figure 2.32 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.32: Average daily cigarette consumption* (mean cigarettes per day) among males and females, Newfoundland and Labrador, 1999-2020
  NL Males Females
1999 17.2 19.2 14.9
2000 15.5 17.4 13.5
2001 16.7 [15.3-18.1] 18.6 [16.5-20.8] 14.0 [12.7-15.2]
2002 16.2 [15.0-17.4] 18.3 [16.5-20.1] 13.8 [12.7-14.9]
2003 16.1 [14.8-17.4] 17.5 [15.5-19.5] 14.4 [12.9-16.0]
2004 14.6 [13.2-16.0] 16.3 [14.1-18.5] 12.7 [11.3-14.0]
2005 15.5 [14.0-16.9] 18.1 [15.8-20.3] 12.4 [10.7-14.1]
2006 16.0 [14.9-17.2] 17.5 [16.2-18.8] 13.9 [12.1-15.7]
2007 14.1 [13.1-15.0] 15.9 [14.4-17.4] 11.9 [10.8-12.9]
2008 14.1 [12.9-15.2] 15.0 [13.3-16.8] 13.0 [11.7-14.3]
2009 15.4 [14.2-16.7] 18.2 [16.3-20.1] 12.0 [10.8-13.3]
2010 14.5 [12.9-16.1] 16.6 [14.3-18.9] 12.1 [10.1-14.2]
2011 14.5 [13.5-15.5] 16.0 [14.7-17.3] 12.3 [10.9-13.8]
2012 15.2 [14.2-16.2] 16.4 [15.1-17.8] 13.5 [11.9-15.1]
2013 13.1 [12.0-14.3] 15.1 [13.5-16.8] 11.2 [9.7-12.8]
2015 14.0 [12.7-15.3] 16.0 [14.1-17.8] 10.7 [9.3-12.2]
2017 12.8 [10.6-14.9] 24.2 [15.3-33.2] 12.1 [8.9-15.4]
2019 11.1 [7.7-14.5] ! !
2020 13.3 [7.7-18.9] ! !

*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.