Characteristics of Canadians who use vaping products, by smoking status: findings from the Canadian Community Health...

To date, surveillance of vaping among Canadians (using vaping products with or without nicotine) has largely been examined with respect to age and smoking status. However, a nationally representative examination of a broad set of characteristics is lacking. This study characterized Canadians aged 15 years and older who vape, stratified by smoking status.

Data from the 2020 Canadian Community Health Survey (unweighted analytical sample size: 28 413 respondents) were used to examine past-30-day vaping stratified by smoking status (current smoking, former smoking, and never/nonsmoking). A Sexand Gender-Based Analysis Plus approach was used to select individual-level characteristics for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to examine outcomes by each characteristic and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify significant factors associated with each past-30-day vaping by smoking status category, using weighted data.

In 2020, 2.0% (605 000) of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported vaping and current smoking (dual use), 1.2% (372 000) reported vaping and former smoking and 1.1% (352 000) reported vaping and never/nonsmoking. Within each past-30-day vaping by smoking status category, certain subgroups presented higher risks: youth and young adults, men, and those having a mood and/or anxiety disorder had higher odds of dual use. Vaping and former smoking was associated with self-identification as a man, having a mood and/or anxiety disorder and provincial region. Youth and young adults, men and those identifying as not a visible minority had higher odds of vaping and never/nonsmoking.

This analysis of Canadians who vape, stratified by smoking status, identifies high-prevalence subpopulations and informs us of the composition of vaping populations by select characteristics, deepening our understanding of Canadians who engage in vaping behaviours.