Reasons for use of e-cigarettes

Use as a smoking cessation aid

Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2015. See data table with 95% confidence intervals below.

Ever-users of e-cigarettes who were either recent (past year) quitters or current smokers who had ever tried to quit, were asked “In the past two years, did you ever use the e-cigarette as an aid while attempting to quit smoking?”; half (49.9%^a) reported doing so.

Use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid was reported by nearly equal proportions of males (50.1%^b) and females (49.7%^c).¹⁶¹ Use as a cessation aid also did not differ significantly by age group,¹⁶² although it appeared to be less prevalent among youth than among adults over age 20 (Figure 12.24).

When considering all those who had ever used an e-cigarette (of any smoking status), 22.8%^d reported using it as a quit aid within the past 2 years (22.3%^e of males; 23.6%^f of females).

More than three-quarters (76.6%^g) of smokers who had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days were intending to quit smoking in the next 6 months, significantly greater than the 63.6%^h of smokers who had NOT used e-cigarettes.¹⁶³Intentions to quit smoking in the next 30 days were similar between past 30-day users (29.5%ⁱ) and non-users (31.3%^j) of e-cigarettes.¹⁶⁴

Figure 12.24 Data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 12.24: Use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, among ever users who were either recent quitters or smokers who had tried to quit, by age group, 2015
	15-19	20-24	25-34	35-44	45+
E-cigarette users who were recent quitters/smokers who had ever tried to quit	37.5 [21.7-53.3]	50.9 [40.9-60.9]	51.0 [35.7-66.2]	57.3 [43.9-70.7]	48.4 [38.6-58.1]
All e-cigarette users	9.8	18.9	21.5	31.3	28.1

Data source: Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2015

Use to replace cigarettes

Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2015. See data table with 95% confidence intervals below. Current smokers were asked the following: “Sometimes smokers use e-cigarettes even when they are not attempting to quit smoking. Have you ever used e-cigarettes when you were not able to smoke or when you wanted to smoke fewer cigarettes? (For example, in a meeting, on a plane, at school?)”.

Overall, approximately one-third (35.2%^k) of e-cigarette ever-users who were also cigarette smokers reported using an e-cigarette when they were unable to smoke, or to smoke fewer cigarettes.

This type of use was reported by 37.7%^l of males and 31.6%^m of females, not significantly different.¹⁶⁵ As well, there was no significant variation by age group in this type of use¹⁶⁶(Figure 12.25).

When all current smokers were considered, 17.7%ⁿ reported ever using an e-cigarette to replace cigarettes (19.0%^o of males; 15.9%^p of females).

Figure 12.25 Data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 12.25: Use of e-cigarettes to replace cigarettes, among ever users who were current smokers, by age group, 2015
	15-19	20-24	25-34	35-44	45+
Current smokers who had ever used e-cigarettes	43.9 [31.8-56.0]	37.3 [28.9-45.7]	33.3 [20.1-46.4]	38.4 [23.1-53.7]	32.1 [23.5-40.6]
All current smokers	36.1	29.4	18.8	15.2	13.2

Data source: Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2015

95% confidence intervals for in-text estimates

a: 49.9 [43.9-56.0]
b: 50.1 [42.1-58.1]
c: 49.7 [41.2-58.2]
d: 22.8 [19.5-26.1]
e: 22.3 [17.8-26.7]
f: 23.6 [18.7-28.5]
g: 76.6 [69.6-83.7]
h: 63.6 [58.6-68.6]
i: 29.5 [19.5-39.5]
j: 31.3 [26.8-35.8]
k: 35.2 [29.9-40.6]
l: 37.7 [30.7-44.7]
m: 31.6 [24.3-39.0]
n: 17.7 [14.8-20.7]
o: 19.0 [14.9-23.0]
p: 15.9 [11.9-19.9]