Research shows that more and more Canadian teenagers are using e-cigarettes

Research shows that more and more Canadian teenagers are using e-cigarettes

On May 7, it was reported by Canadian media that a new survey on Canadian teenagers showed that e-cigarettes were in a popular period.

The study was published in JAMA Pediatrics this week: the number of young Canadians surveyed said they had tried to use e-cigarettes increased from 29.3% in 2017 to 40.6% in 2019.

Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst of the Canadian Cancer Association, told Adam Miller of CBS news that this is really shocking. The federal and provincial governments need to take urgent measures to reduce smoking among young people through a series of measures.

The study investigated the habits of more than 12000 Canadians aged 16 to 19 who were divided into three groups between 2017 and 2019.

It found that the number of people who reported electronic atomization last month more than doubled from 8.4% in 2017 to 17.8%.

Those who said they used e-cigarettes in the past week increased from 5.2% in 2017 to 12.3% in 2019.

The number of people who reported using e-cigarettes more than 20 times last month jumped from 1.8% to 5.7%.

Research shows that more and more Canadian teenagers are using e-cigarettes

David Hammond, a professor of public health at the University of Waterloo, led the study of young people in Canada. He also studied smoking rates in the United States and the United Kingdom.

He found a similar trend among American young people, but not among British young people.

Hammond told Miller that this is largely because the EU has set an upper limit on the amount of  allowed in e-cigarettes (20 mg / ml), while Canada and the United States do not.

According to the data of the Canadian Department of health, the maximum content allowed in Canadian e-cigarettes is more than three times that of the European Union, which is 66 mg / ml.

In December last year, the Canadian Ministry of Health said that it was preparing to impose stricter restrictions on advertising and mandatory health warnings on e-cigarette products. However, it said that it was not ready to further restrict e-cigarette products known to be attractive to young users as health advocates wanted.

In January, the Canadian Medical Association said that the recommendations of the Canadian Ministry of health were not enough, saying that the proposed regulations provided the e-cigarette industry with freedom in promotional activities.

CMA points out that e-cigarette advertisements have successfully attracted more and more young people to use e-cigarettes, even if the advertisements are not targeted at them.

Health Canada's proposal is a response to the increasing pressure on the e-cigarette industry in recent months. The e-cigarette industry vigorously promotes its products in stores and other public places.

Similarly, the advertising and promotion activities of e-cigarette companies are widely used in many social media platforms.

When asked about the latest survey, the Canadian Ministry of Health said in a statement to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news that it was worried about the rapid increase of young people smoking e-cigarettes, and the government had taken measures to solve this problem, including investment in public education, strengthening the implementation of legislation and other regulations.