The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Results from the Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS), for data collected between February and June 2007, reveal that 19 per cent of the population (just under five million Canadians) aged 15 years and older were current smokers. Fifteen per cent of Canadians reported smoking daily and they smoked on average 15.3 cigarettes per day. Approximately 21 per cent of males were current smokers, higher than the proportion of females (16 per cent). Youth Among youth aged 15-19 years, 15 per cent were current smokers with 9 per cent reporting daily smoking and 6 per cent occasional smoking. This current rate for youth is nearly half of what it was in 1999 (28 per cent) when CTUMS first started collecting smoking information from Canadians. There was no difference in the prevalence of smoking in 2007 among teenage boys (15 per cent) and teenage girls (15 per cent). Youth daily smokers consumed on average 12.3 cigarettes per day with teenage girls (10.5) smoking three and a half fewer cigarettes daily compared to teenage boys (14.0). Young Adults The prevalence of smoking among young adults aged 20-24 years was reported at 24 per cent for the first half of 2007 (15 per cent daily, 9 per cent occasional). Current smoking among young adults has declined over time from 34 per cent in 1999 to 24 per cent (half-year data). Although there was no statistical difference in the prevalence of smoking in 2007 between males (27 per cent) aged 20-24 years and females (21 per cent), male daily smokers did report consuming significantly more cigarettes on average per day (14.0) than females (10.8). Consumption Daily smokers aged 15 years and older reported smoking 15.3 cigarettes per day on average during the first half of 2007. The level of consumption remained stable compared to the first half of 2006 (15.4 cigarettes per day) but has declined from 17.4 cigarettes per day as reported in 1999. Males (17.6) continued to smoke more cigarettes per day in 2007 than females (12.7). The majority of current smokers (54 per cent) reported consuming a brand name cigarette with a ÒlightÓ or ÒmildÓ descriptor compared to 46 per cent who smoked a ÒregularÓ cigarette. Twelve per cent of current smokers roll or make their own cigarettes at the present time including 4 per cent who do it all the time. Opinions Respondents were asked their opinions on smoking restrictions in restaurants, bars and taverns, and in the workplace. Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of all Canadians aged 15 years and older stated that smoking should not be allowed in any section of a restaurant. This is up 5 per cent compared to the same time last year (68 per cent). Fifty per cent of Canadians thought that smoking should not be allowed in any section of a bar or tavern. Respondents were also asked for their opinion on smoking in the workplace and 37 per cent expressed that it should not be allowed in any section of the workplace compared to 41 per cent who reported the same one year ago. Respondents were also asked for their opinion regarding who is the most responsible for young people starting to smoke. Among respondents aged 15 years and older, 43 per cent felt that friends and peers were most responsible for young people starting to smoke followed by parents (20 per cent) and young people themselves (19 per cent). A small percentage felt that the tobacco industry (8 per cent), government (4 per cent) and celebrities (2 per cent) were responsible. It was also reported that 7 per cent of children under the age of 12 (about 280,000 children) were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home. This is a decrease from 1.1 million children under the age of 12 who were regularly exposed to second-hand smoke in 1999. Ð Compiled from Health Canada information.
