Findings

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The prevalence of smoking continues to decline in Canada, according to recent results from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) (see Data source).  About 2 in 10 Canadians aged 12 or older — 21.8% or approximately 5.9 million people — were smokers in 2005 (Chart 1, Table 1).  This figure includes both daily and occasional smokers (see The questions), and is slightly lower than the 23% estimated using data from the 2003 CCHS.  Comparisons with earlier surveys reveal the downward trend in the national smoking rate.  In 2000/01, for example, the CCHS revealed that 26% of the population smoked.  And about 10 years ago, 29% of Canadians were smokers, an estimate based on data from the 1994/95 National Population Health Survey (data not shown).

Sharpest declines for youth
Fewer daily smokers, fewer cigarettes
Lowest rates in Ontario and British Columbia
Household bans on the rise
Workplace bans also more common
Bans and declines in cigarettes smoked
Reduced exposure to second-hand smoke
Youth face higher risk from second-hand smoke

Sharpest declines for youth

The prevalence of smoking has declined for both sexes and across all age groups, but the sharpest drops have been among youth aged 12 to 17 (Chart 1, Table 1).  In 2000/01, the youth smoking rate was 14%; by 2003, it had fallen to 10%, and by 2005, the rate was 8% — the lowest of all age groups.  Seniors had the lowest prevalence of smoking in 2001, but the latest estimates reveal that the rates for men and women aged 65 or older are stabilizing.

The youth smoking rate has declined because increasing numbers of young people never even start to smoke.  In 2000/01, 73% of 12- to 17-year-olds said that they had never smoked cigarettes; by 2005, the proportion had increased to 82% (data not shown).  This finding is particularly relevant because people who start smoking usually do so before they turn 18, and it is relatively rare for adults to take up smoking.¹  Thus, smoking rates among older age groups may decrease even more in future as today's youth move through adulthood.

Fewer daily smokers, fewer cigarettes

In 2005, most people who smoked did so every day (76%) (data not shown).  This represents a substantial drop from 2000/01, when 83% of smokers were daily smokers.  Cigarette consumption among daily smokers also fell, from an average of 16.7 cigarettes a day in 2000/01 to 15.6 in 2005 (data not shown).  The prevalence of occasional smoking was very similar between 2000/01 and 2005, remaining around 5% (data not shown).

Lowest rates in Ontario and British Columbia

Between 2003 and 2005, smoking rates declined significantly in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nunavut (Table 2).  Rates in the remaining provinces and territories did not change over the two years.

In 2005, smoking rates were significantly below the national figure of 22% in Ontario (21%) and British Columbia (18%) (Table 2, Appendix Table A).  These two provinces also had comparatively low rates in 2003 and 2000/01.  The 2005 rate was also low in Manitoba (20%), but the difference from the national rate only approached statistical significance (p=0.07).  The prevalence of smoking in the remaining provinces was between 22% and 24% in 2005.

Smoking rates in the territories were fairly high: 30% in Yukon Territory, and 36% in Northwest Territories.  Although Nunavut had the country's highest smoking rate (53%), it also underwent the sharpest decline between 2003 and 2005, falling 12 percentage points.  Among the health regions, as in previous years, British Columbia's Richmond had the country's lowest smoking rate: 12.6% (Appendix Table A).

Household bans on the rise

In 2005, close to two-thirds (64%) of Canadians aged 12 or older lived in households where smoking was completely restricted, meaning that smokers were asked to refrain from smoking anywhere in the house (see The questions).  This was up 7 percentage points from 2003 (Chart 2).

Not surprisingly, living in a household with a smoking ban was more common among non-smokers: the percentage rose from 57% in 2000/01 to 63% in 2003, and by 2005, it had reached 71%.  Even smokers became more likely to face a smoking ban at home (34% in 2003 versus 41% in 2005).

Between 2003 and 2005, the percentage of the population living with smoking bans at home rose significantly in all 10 provinces, as well as in Northwest Territories and Nunavut (Chart 3).  In Yukon Territory, the rate remained stable at 62%.  In 2005, compared with the national rate of 64%, estimates were higher in Nova Scotia (66%), Ontario (71%), Manitoba (68%), Alberta (72%) and British Columbia (77%).  By contrast, the rate was particularly low in Quebec (43%).

By health region, household smoking bans were most common in South Vancouver Island, British Columbia (82%); in fact, estimates in 14 of British Columbia's 16 health regions were above the Canadian average (Appendix Table B).  The relatively low overall rate observed for Quebec also characterized the province's 16 health regions, where rates ranged from a low of 28% in Région Nord-du-Quebec to a high of 52% in Région de l'Outaouais.

Workplace bans also more common

Between 2000/01 and 2003, the percentage of the employed population who reported a total ban on smoking at their place of work rose from 62% to 67% (Chart 4).  A modest increase of 1 percentage point was observed between 2003 and 2005.

In 2005, 73% of non-smokers and 54% of smokers worked at locations where smoking was prohibited.  Since 2000/01, the percentage of the employed population reporting workplace smoking bans has risen in all provinces and territories; however, in many cases, a significant increase occurred in only one of the two periods (2000/01 to 2003, or 2003 to 2005) (data not shown)  This likely reflects the varying dates when legislation restricting smoking in workplaces and public places was introduced across the country.^2,3

In 2005, 71% of the employed population in Ontario and 76% in Manitoba reported workplace smoking bans; both figures are significantly higher than the national average (68%) (Appendix Table C).  Percentages were even higher in the three territories:  Yukon Territory, 79%; Northwest Territories, 83%; and Nunavut, 92% — the highest rate in the country.  Workplace bans were less common in Nova Scotia (64%), Quebec (67%), Saskatchewan (65%) and Alberta (61%).  (For figures by health region, see Appendix Table C).

Bans and declines in cigarettes smoked

Both household and workplace smoking restrictions were associated with reduced tobacco consumption.  In 2005, smokers aged 12 or older who lived in households where smoking was completely banned smoked an average of 9 cigarettes per day, 6 fewer than those living in homes where smoking was allowed (data not shown).  Employed smokers aged 15 to 75 who faced workplace smoking bans averaged 11 cigarettes daily, while those who were allowed to smoke at work had an average of 14 (data not shown).

The combination of bans at home and at work yielded even lower levels of daily tobacco consumption among employed smokers.  In 2005, employed smokers facing these two restrictions smoked 9 cigarettes per day, on average, compared with 16 for those who could smoke at home and at work (Chart 5).  These findings are particularly relevant given that reduced cigarette consumption is associated with a higher probability of quitting, and higher cigarette consumption is associated with increased health risks.⁴ 

Reduced exposure to second-hand smoke

As smoking bans became more widespread, non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke declined (see The questions).  In 2005, 9% of non-smokers reported that they were exposed to second-hand smoke at home every day or almost every day, down from 11% in 2003 (Chart 6).  Over the same period, such regular exposure to second-hand smoke in private vehicles fell from 10% to 8%.  In 2005, exposure to second-hand smoke was most common in public places, reported by 15% of non-smokers (Appendix Table D).  But this was also the setting in which exposure declined the most, down from 20% in 2003 (Chart 6).  When the three venues—home, vehicles and public places — are considered together for 2005, 23% of the non-smokers reported regular exposure to second-hand smoke in at least one location, down from 29% in 2003.

Youth face higher risk from second-hand smoke

For all three locations considered, the likelihood of being exposed to second-hand smoke diminished as age rose.  In 2005, 40% of non-smokers aged 12 to 17 reported being regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in at least one location.  This compares with 31% for those aged 18 to 34, 19% for those aged 35 to 64, and 11% among seniors aged 65 or older (Chart 7).  This pattern may partially reflect the higher percentage of seniors who live alone and thus have a decreased likelihood of being around a smoker, as well as changes in activities across the lifespan.  In some cases, exposure to second-hand smoke may be a choice; in other cases, it may be unavoidable.⁵  Although exposure declined for all age groups between 2003 and 2005 (data not shown), the high rate among youth is of particular concern since they likely have the least amount of control over their exposure to second-hand smoke.

Exposure rates to second-hand smoke in public places varied considerably by province and territory in 2003 and 2005, reflecting the different dates when legislation was introduced to restrict smoking in these venues.^2,3  Between 2003 and 2005, rates fell by at least 10 percentage points in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and in all three territories (Chart 8).  In 2005, exposure rates were highest in Quebec (23%) and Alberta (18%) (Appendix Table D).  It is likely, however, that these rates will continue to drop, given that legislation restricting smoking in public places will become effective in both provinces in 2006.  (See Appendix Table D for the percentage of non-smokers regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in public places at the health region level.)

Exposure to second-hand smoke will likely continue to decline, given that new restrictions on smoking in public places will become effective in several provinces in 2006.  These trends are encouraging in light of the serious health effects of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.^9-11  Nonetheless, high exposure to second-hand smoke among 12- to 17-year-olds — at home, in private vehicles and in public places — remains an area of concern.