| Smoking statistics for Canada are generated by | | | | the female smoking population in this age group. |
| the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey | | | | - 30-50 yrs old represent the age group that is giving |
| (CTUMS) which collects data on tobacco use and | | | | up smoking at the the highest rate. |
| related issues in Canada. The data collected | | | | There has been a consistent effort on the part of |
| provides useful information on both the incidence | | | | governments to get the message out about the |
| (number of new smokers) and the prevalence (total | | | | smoking risks to health. Smoking laws have been |
| number of smokers) of smoking in the Canadian | | | | passed in many provinces and municipalities that |
| population. | | | | prevent smoking in public buildings of any kind ( even |
| Overall the long term trends show that the prevalence | | | | bars and restaurants). Recently the laws in |
| of smoking in Canada is decreasing from a high of | | | | Vancouver BC and surrounding areas have been |
| 35% of the population in 1985 to less than 20% of the | | | | extended to included a ban on smoking within 7 |
| population in 2007. The first wave of 2008 smoking | | | | meters of a building entrance. If you are going to |
| statistics from the CTUMS show that prevalence | | | | smoke in that area you really have to work at it. |
| could now be approaching 18%. | | | | Since the smoking statistics show a clear drop in the |
| The province of British Columbia has the lowest rate | | | | prevalence of smoking it is clear there are a significant |
| of prevalence for smoking across the country (15%) | | | | number of Canadians who are giving up smoking. But |
| with Saskatchewan having the highest prevalence at | | | | more importantly less and less Canadians are being |
| 21%. All other provinces were very close to the | | | | influenced to take up the habit in the first place. |
| national average of 18%. | | | | So of those people who are still in the smoking minority |
| Here is how the Canadian smoking statistics break | | | | who are they? An examination of the social |
| down by age groups. As all the data from 2008 is | | | | epidemiology reveals some interesting smoking |
| not yet available this data is from the first half of 2008. | | | | statistics. |
| - 15-19 yrs old 15% of this population classify | | | | The highest prevalence of smokers is among the |
| themselves as smokers. While unchanged from the | | | | unemployed, poorly educated, and low income |
| previous year this does represent the lowest rate | | | | populations. The very people who have the least |
| since Canada began collecting and monitoring smoking | | | | amount of disposable income purchase the majority of |
| statistics. | | | | cigarettes. For this population at least, it would appear |
| - 20-24 yrs old. 28% of this population are smoking. | | | | that the economic impact of cigarette smoking is not |
| Among this age group males continue to smoke at a | | | | important enough to motivate a change in smoking |
| higher rate but smoke more cigarettes per capital than | | | | behaviour. |