In 2016-17, smoking prevalence among students in grades 7-9 was 1.0% overall. Among adolescents aged 15-19, 7.9%a were current smokers in 2017 (2.9%b daily and 4.9%c non-daily). However, there was substantial variation by age, from 5.3% among 15- to 17-year-olds to 11.2% of 18- and 19-year-oldsd. Daily smoking also increased with age (Figure 8.1).
Smoking prevalence among students in grades 7-9 dropped by more than half between 1994 and 2002, and has since remained low. Between 2014-15 and 2016-17, there was no significant change in overall,daily, or non-daily smoking prevalence86-88 (Figure 8.2).
Among youth aged 15-19, smoking prevalence declined steadily after 1999 for several years before levelling off and then again decreasing to another plateau; over the past decade, prevalence appears to have declined very slowly and gradually (Figure 8.2). Between 2015 and 2017, there was no significant change in overall, daily, or non-daily smoking prevalence.89-91 Most of the decline in smoking observed among 15- to 19-year-olds appears to be due to decreasing daily smoking.
a: 7.9 [6.4-9.3]
b: 2.9 [2.1-3.7]
c: 4.9 [3.7-6.2]
d: 5.3 [3.9-6.8] to 11.2 [8.6-13.9]
