Cigarette consumption by age

Bar chart showing average daily cigarette consumption by age, grades 7 to 9, from 2018 to 2019. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals. As shown in Figure 7.11, cigarette consumption among daily smokers appeared to be lower among students in grades 7 and 8 than in grade 9 in 2018-19.

Among daily smokers aged 15-19, cigarette consumption was not reportable in 2019 or 2020, but historical data between 1999 and 2017 is shown below. During this time, there appeared to be a net decrease in average daily cigarette consumption, but there has been considerable variation rather than a smooth downward trend, including some periods of increase (Figure 7.12).

Among smokers in grades 7-9, between 1994 and 2018-19, daily consumption varied by survey year, but remained between approximately 8 and 11 cigarettes (Figure 7.12).

Figure 7.10 data table with 95% confidence interval

Figure 7.10: Average daily cigarette consumption* by age, Grades 7-9, 2018-19
	Grades 7/8**	Grade 9
Mean cigarettes per day	7.7 [6.0-9.5]	9.8 [7.1-12.5]

*Among daily smokers.
**Grades 7 and 8 combined due to low numbers.
Data source: Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2018-19.

Bar chart showing average daily cigarette consumption by age group, grades 7 to 9 and age 15 to 19, from 1994 to 2018-19. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 7.11 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 7.11: Average daily cigarette consumption* (mean cigarettes per day) by age group, Grades 7-9 and age 15-19, 1994 to 2018-19
	Grades 7-9	Age 15-17	Age 18-19
1994	10.1	N/A	N/A
1999	N/A	12.3	13.9
2000	N/A	11.5	13.9
2001	N/A	12.2 [10.8-13.7]	13.5 [12.4-14.6]
2002	10.0 [6.9-13.0]	12.1 [11.2-13.1]	13.8 [12.6-14.9]
2003	N/A	11.5 [10.2-12.8]	13.1 [11.9-14.3]
2004 (YSS 2004-05)	9.3 [8.3-10.4]	10.2 [9.1-11.2]	12.7 [10.8-14.5]
2005	N/A	9.2 [7.8-10.6]	12.2 [11.0-13.5]
2006 (YSS 2006-07)	9.2 [7.7-10.7]	12.1 [10.6-13.5]	12.4 [11.0-13.8]
2007	N/A	10.4 [9.0-11.7]	12.5 [10.9-14.0]
2008 (YSS 2008-09)	10.9 [8.4-13.4]	10.8 [9.6-12.0]	13.0 [11.6-14.4]
2009	N/A	11.8 [9.6-14.0]	11.1 [10.1-12.1]
2010 (YSS 2010-11)	8.7 [7.4-9.9]	11.0 [9.3-12.7]	12.0 [10.7-13.3]
2011	N/A	11.0 [9.2-12.7]	12.2 [10.0-14.3]
2012 (YSS 2012-13)	10.5	8.8 [7.2-10.4]	12.3 [9.5-15.1]
2013	N/A	8.5 [6.5-10.6]	9.5 [7.3-11.6]
2014 (YSS 2014-55)	8.8 [5.2-12.4]	N/A	N/A
2015	N/A	!	12.0 [8.9-15.1]
2016 (CSTADS 2016-17)	7.5 [5-10]	N/A	N/A
2017	N/A	6.9 [4.6-9.3]	10.6 [8.2-13.0]
2018	8.8 [7.2-10.3]	N/A	N/A
2019	N/A	!	!

*Among daily smokers.
! Estimate suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Estimates for age 15-19 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; Youth Smoking Survey, 1994, 2002, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13; Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2014-2015, 2016-2017, 2018-2019.