Smoking at an all time low among Canadians, survey finds

A new federal survey has found smoking among Canadians is at an all time low.

According to the 2013 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 15 per cent of Canadians smoke — the lowest national smoking rate ever recorded.

The survey, conducted every two years, polled 14,500 Canadians aged 15 and older and for the first time asked questions about the use of electronic cigarettes. Overall, nine per cent of respondents reported having tried an e-cigarette, among them 20 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24.

The survey also found that 11 per cent of respondents of all ages reported using cannabis in the previous year, with 22 per cent of teens and 26 per cent of 20- to 24-year-olds saying they had smoked pot.

Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they had used prescription opioids, stimulants or tranquillizers in the previous year, with two per cent reporting they had abused such drugs.

As for alcohol use, ore than three-quarters of respondents, or about 22 million Canadians, reported drinking in the past year, a rate virtually unchanged from 2012.

Agencies/Canadajournal

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