Quit attempts among youth age 15-19

In 2019, half (49.7%) of current smokers and recent quitters aged 15-19 had made a quit attempt lasting at least 24 hours in the past 12 months. While the estimate for 2020 was not reportable, there was no significant change between 2019 and 2020 in the percentage of smokers aged 15-19 who had tried to quit smoking in the past 12 months.57

Since 1999, the proportion of smokers and recent quitters who had attempted to quit in the past 12 months has remained above half (Figure 10.3).

Line graph showing percentage of smokers and recent quitters who attempted to quit in the past 12 months, by age group, from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 10.3 data table with 95% confidence intervals

Figure 10.3: Percentage of smokers and recent quitters* who attempted to quit in the past 12 months, by age group, 1999**-2020
  %
1999 69.8
2000 70.3
2001 66.8 [62.4-71.2]
2002 62.1 [57.8-66.4]
2003 N/A
2004 64.4 [58.8-70.0]
2005 61.0 [55.4-66.6]
2006 59.8 [54.3-65.3]
2007 64.3 [58.8-69.9]
2008 62.3 [56.6-67.9]
2009 62.3 [56.2-68.3]
2010 63.5 [57.8-69.3]
2011 56.2 [49.2-63.2]
2012 63.2 [56.7-69.7]
2013 57 [48.2-65.7]
2015 65.0 [54.6-75.4]
2017 50.8 [41.1-60.6]
2019 49.7 [36.8-62.5]
2020 !

*Note: In 1999-2002, this question was asked of current smokers; 2003 (data not shown) included only smokers who had tried to quit in the past 2 years; 2004-2015 included current smokers and former smokers who had quit in the past 12 months.
**In 1999, only cycle 2 was asked the relevant survey items.
! Estimate not reportable due to unacceptable quality.
Data source: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.