The Daily. Monday, January 21, 2002

Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey

The national smoking rate is now at its lowest level in more than three decades of monitoring smoking.

An estimated 5.7 million people, or 23% of the population aged 15 and over, smoked either daily or occasionally during the first half of 2001, according to the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey. This the lowest level since regular monitoring of smoking began in 1965, when an estimated 50% of the population smoked.

Twenty-five percent of men were smokers, compared with 21% of women.

The lowest prevalence rate was in British Columbia, where about 17% of those aged 15 and over were smokers. Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, both at 28%, were among the provinces with highest smoking rates.

At the national level, each daily smoker puffed an average of about 16 cigarettes a day during the first half of 2001, down from 21 in 1981.

The survey, conducted since 1999 by Statistics Canada on behalf of Health Canada, provides timely, reliable and continuous data on tobacco use and related issues. Its objective is to track changes in smoking status and consumption, especially for populations most at risk, such as people aged 15 to 24. Data cited from previous years has been derived from other surveys. This wave, conducted from February to June 2001, collected data from about 10,700 respondents. Data from the second wave, conducted from July to December 2001, will be available by the spring of 2002.

An estimated 34% of young adults aged 20 to 24 were smokers, still the highest incidence of any age group. Among men in this age group, just under 36% smoked, well below the 47% in 1981. The rate among women in this age group was at 32%, a big drop from 50% in 1981.

In the first half of 2001, 23% of teens aged 15 to 19 were smokers. About 26% of teenage girls smoked, compared with 42% of girls in 1981. Twenty percent of teenage boys smoked, compared with 46% of teenage boys in 1981.

An estimated 25% of teens reported taking action to quit during the first half of the year, the highest proportion of all age groups.

The percentage of ex-smokers continues to grow. In the first half of 2001, 25% of the population 15 years and older, or about 6.1 million people, reported that they had quit. Former smokers have outnumbered current smokers for several years.

For more information on the survey results contact Anne Zaborski, Tobacco Control Program, Health Canada (613-954-0152; anne_zaborski@hc-sc.gc.ca) or visit the program's Web site (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/tobacco/ctums_splash.html).

For information on the public-use microdata file, contact Client Services (1-888-297-7355; 613-951-7355; fax: 613-951-3012; ssd@statcan.gc.ca), Special Surveys Division.