Preventing kids and teens from smoking and vaping

Helping to prevent kids and teens from smoking and vaping starts with a talk with someone they can trust and who cares about their health and well-being. Parents, teachers, coaches, and other trusted adults can all initiate a conversation with a young person that makes a difference in their lives.

Not sure where to start? Read on to get the facts and tips to help make this conversation a little easier.

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Tips for talking with kids and teens about smoking and vaping

Before having a conversation, learn about the health effects of smoking and about vaping and its risks. Being understanding, non-judgmental, and empathetic about why they may be smoking or vaping. This can help them feel comfortable. Then, when the moment is right, offer to share what you have learned. Be patient and ready to listen. You may need to discuss it more than once. While it's best to have a talk before they start smoking or vaping, it's never too late – an open and caring conversation can go a long way to help them stop.

Adults who smoke or vape can also be a positive influence by sharing their insights and by not offering tobacco or vaping products to family or friends.

Equipped with the facts, talk with your teen about smoking and addiction and how hard it can be to quit.

You can also emphasise the long-term costs associated with cigarettes and vaping products. For more information, consult the how much do you spend on cigarettes and the cost of vaping calculators.

Media literacy

Conversations about media literacy are important in helping kids and teens think critically about the various forms of media and messages they consume. Media literacy involves understanding how and why media is created.

For example, you can explain how media can influence audiences to think in a certain way about products or associate them to certain lifestyles. When kids and teens reflect on the goals behind messages they are more likely to recognize influential tactics, and make informed choices.

When you see someone smoking or vaping on social media, TV, or in a movie, start a discussion about how smoking and vaping is being portrayed. Watch for possible unrealistic or stereotypical situations that associate smoking or vaping with:

Understanding kids and teens smoking and vaping

Cigarettes and most vaping products contain nicotine. Though smoking remains the riskiest and most harmful way for anyone to use nicotine, vaping nicotine also has certain risks.

Adolescence is a time of increased susceptibility to the harmful effects of nicotine, including physical dependence and addiction. Nicotine can interfere with healthy teen brain development. A person's brain continues developing into their mid-20s and young people can become dependent on nicotine with lower levels of exposure than adults.End note 1 Once a young person shows symptoms of physical dependence and/or addiction to nicotine, it can be hard to stop. While quitting smoking and quitting vaping can be difficult, it is possible and help is available.

It is also helpful to know that:

Learn more about quitting smoking.

Teen smoking in Canada

Smoking rates among teens have been in steady decline since the early 2000s. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2021 reported a smoking prevalence of 1.1% among youth aged 12-17, compared with 2.5% in 2019.

In Canada, it is illegal to sell or provide tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18. Some provincial laws have increased this age to 19 or 21.

For more information, consult Smoking in Canada: What we know

Teen vaping in Canada

The Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) 2021 data shows that vaping rates have remained relatively stable since 2019 with around 13% of youth aged 15 to 19 reporting having vaped in the past 30 days. A majority of youth (61%) who vaped in the past 30 days have never tried a tobacco cigarette in their life.

In terms of reasons for past 30-day vaping, youth were more likely to report stress reduction (33%) in 2021 as the main reason for vaping compared to youth in 2019 (21%). This increase may indicate that youth are vaping in part to cope with stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and other difficult situations, such as ongoing disruptions to education and workplaces. The survey data indicates other reasons for teen vaping include because they "enjoy it" (28%) and because they "wanted to try it" (24%).

CTNS 2021 data further shows that a majority of youth report using social sources like friends and family to obtain vaping devices (55%) and liquids (50%), rather than retail sources.

In Canada, it is illegal to sell or provide vaping products to anyone under the age of 18. Some provincial laws have increased this age to 19 or 21.

For more information, consult Vaping in Canada: What we know

What teens had to say about vaping

Our public opinion research with youth (aged 13-19) highlights that:

Get support

If you or a loved one needs mental health or substance use support, please talk to your family doctor and reach out to family and friends for support. You can also access free and confidential mental health and addiction support throughout Canada. Help can be as easy as a click away.

Learn more for parents to help their kids quit smoking and talking with your teen about vaping.

Free quit and counselling, coaching and other services in your province or territory

Find services to quit smoking

For more information

End notes

End note 1

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health, 2016. E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/e-cigarettes/pdfs/2016_sgr_entire_report_508.pdf

Return to footnote 1 referrer

End note 2

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014. The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/50th-anniversary/index.htm

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End note 3

The Conference Board of Canada, 2017. The Costs of Tobacco Use in Canada, 2012. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/services/publications/healthy-living/costs-tobacco-use-canada-2012/Costs-of-Tobacco-Use-in-Canada-2012-eng.pdf

Return to footnote 3 referrer

End note 4

National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health, 2012. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A report of the Surgeon General. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK99242/#ch2.s2

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End note 5

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Health and Medicine Division, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Committee on the Review of the Health Effects of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Eaton, D. L., Kwan, L. Y., & Stratton, K. (Eds.)., 2018. Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes. National Academies Press (US). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507171/

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End note 6

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 2019. Lower-Risk Nicotine Use Guidelines. Retrieved from: https://www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com/en/Pages/Lower-Risk-Nicotine-Use-Guidelin%E2%80%8Bes.aspx

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End note 7

Quorus Consulting Group Inc., 2020. Exploratory Research on Youth Vaping. Retrieved from https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/health/2020/069-19-e/report.pdf

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End note 8

Earnscliffe Strategy Group, 2020. Social Values and Psychographic Segmentation of Tobacco and Nicotine Users and Non-Users: Final Report. Retrieved from https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/health/2020/048-19-e/report.pdf

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End note 9

Environics Research, 2019. Vapers Panel Survey to Measure Attitudes and Behaviours Regarding Vaping Products. Retrieved from https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/301/pwgsc-tpsgc/por-ef/health/2019/083-18-e/report.pdf

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