E-cigarette use by smoking status

Bar chart showing prevalence of ever, past 30-day, and daily/almost daily use of e-cigarettes, by smoking status, grades 7 to 9, from 2018 to 2019. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Among students in grades 7-9, e-cigarette use (ever, past 30-day, and daily/amost daily) varied significantly by smoking status156-158 (Figure 12.5).

Almost all current smokers (95.8%) had ever tried e-cigarettes, compared to 15% of never-smokers. Most current smokers (88.1%) had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, compared to just 7% of never-smokers. More than half (54.2%) of current smokers reported using e-cigarettes daily or almost daily, while this was rare among never-smokers.

When asked, “Which did you try first: smoking a cigarette or an e-cigarette (electronic cigarette)?”, nearly half (44.1%a) of students who had used both products reported using e-cigarettes first, while a similar proportion (42.6%b) reported cigarettes, and the remainder did not recall. 

Figure 12.5 Data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 12.5: Ever, past 30-day, and daily/almost daily use of e-cigarettes (%) by smoking status, grades 7-9, 2018-19
Smoking status Ever use Past 30-day use Daily/almost daily use
Current smoker 95.8 [93.4-98.1] 88.1 [83.9-92.3] 54.2 [46.2-62.1]
Former smoker* 83.2 [80.0-86.5] 52.2 [46.5-58.0] 22.4 [16.3-28.5]
Experimental smoker** 76.4 [72.8-80.0] 45.9 [40.9-50.9] 15.5 [12.6-18.3]
Never smoker 15.0 [13.3-16.6] 6.9 [5.8-8.0] 1.2 [1.0-1.5]

*Includes past experimenters and former smokers (see Glossary for definitions).
** Includes puffers and experimental smokers (see Glossary).
Data source: Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2018-19.

Between 2016-17 and 2018-19, there were significant increases in the prevalence of ever use and past 30-day use of e-cigarettes among current smokers, former smokers, experimental smokers, and never smokers159-166 (Table 12.2).

Download Table_12_2_Ever_use_and_past_30_day_use_of_ecigarettes_by_smoking_status_grades_7_9.xlsx

Table 12.2 Data table with 95% confidence intervals
Table 12.2: Ever, past 30-day, and daily/almost daily use of e-cigarettes (%) by smoking status, grades 7-9, 2014-15 and 2018-19
  Ever use Past 30-day use Daily use
2014-15 2016-17 2018-19 2014-15 2016-17 2018-19 2018-19
Current smoker 79.1 [74.3-84.0] 83.4 [77.1-89.7] 95.8 [93.4-98.1] 49.9 [34.3-65.6] 66.7 [56.8-76.6] 88.1 [83.9-92.3] 54.2 [46.2-62.1]
Former smoker* 64.8 [57.8-71.8] 66.1 [59.3-72.9] 83.2 [80.0-86.5] 18.3 [12.3-24.3] 24.6 [18.9-30.3] 52.2 [46.5-58.0] 22.4 [16.3-28.5]
Experimental smoker** 55.8 [50.7-60.9] 60.1 [55.3-65.0] 76.4 [72.8-80.0] 23.4 [19.8-26.9] 30.0 [25.5-34.4] 45.9 [40.9-50.9] 15.5 [12.6-18.3]
Never smoker 7.3 [6.5-8.1] 7.9 [6.8-8.9] 15.0 [13.3-16.6] 1.7 [1.3-2.0] 2.9 [2.3-3.5] 6.9 [5.8-8.0] 1.2 [1.0-1.5]

*Includes past experimenters and former smokers (see Glossary for definitions).
** Includes puffers and experimental smokers (see Glossary).
Data source: Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19.

95% confidence intervals for in-text estimates 

a: 44.1 [40.6-47.6]
b: 42.6 [38.5-46.6]