Nicotine in e-cigarettes

The implementation of the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act allowed the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in 2018 , prior to which nicotine-containing e-cigarettes were not approved for sale in Canada.xiii In June 2021, new federal regulations established a maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml in e-liquids.xiv

Ever-users of e-cigarettes were asked on how many of the past 30 days they had used an e-liquid with nicotine, an e-liquid without nicotine, and an e-liquid they “did not know what it contained”, respectively. In 2020, most (84.4%a) said they had used an e-liquid with nicotine on at least one day, while just 21.1%b said they had used an e-liquid without nicotine on at least one day, and one in ten (10.1%c) said they had used an e-liquid they “did not know what it contained” on at least one day.

The percentage of past 30-day vapers who reported using an e-liquid with nicotine on at least one day in the past 30 was similar to the 2019 estimate of 84.1%d.135

Prevalence of using a nicotine-containing e-liquid in the past 30 days did not vary significantly by smoking status136 (Figure 11.30); among past 30-day e-cigarette users, most current smokers (82.1%e), former smokers (88.4%), and never smokers (82.8%) had used e-cigarettes containing nicotine in the past 30 days.

Bar chart showing percentage of past 30-day e-cigarette users who used an e-liquid with nicotine on at least one day in the past 30 days, by smoking status, in 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 11.30 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 11.30: Percentage of past 30-day e-cigarette users who used an e-liquid with nicotine on at least one day in the past 30 days, by smoking status, 2020
Smoking status %
Daily smoker 79.7 [67.5-91.9]
Non-daily smoker 88.1 [78.0-98.1]
Former smoker 88.4 [80.8-95.9]
Never smoker 82.8 [76.4-89.2]

Daily smoker: responded "daily" to "during the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"
Non-daily smoker: responded "less than daily, but at least once a week" or "less than once a week, but at least once in the past month" to past 30-day smoking.
Former smoker: responded "not at all" to past 30-day smoking but "yes" to "have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes (about 4 packs) in your life?"
Never smoker: responded "not at all" to past 30-day smoking and "no" to 100+ lifetime cigarettes or responded "no" to "have you ever smoked a whole cigarette?"
Data source: Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2020.

95% confidence intervals for in-text estimates

a: 84.4 [79.7-89.2]
b: 21.2 [14.6-27.6]
c: 10.1 [3.7-16.4]
d: 84.1 [79.6-88.6]
e: 82.1 [73.0-91.3]