Investigating changes in vape use among Canadian youth from 2014 to 2022

Vape use among Canadian adolescents has increased over time, posing a significant public health concern in Canada. However, the rate of increase may vary year to year because of regulatory initiatives related to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) and the pandemic. Therefore, we aim to examine how the rate of vape use changed between 2014 and 2022 while also investigating differences in vape use by province and sociodemographic characteristics.

Data from the 2014-2015, 2016-2017, 2018-2019, and 2021-2022 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey was used. Data on vape use in the past 30 days at these four survey time points, participants' province, sex, gender, school level, type of area of residence, and Indigenous identity were used to run weighted logistic regression.

Vape use in the past 30 days increased among adolescents between 2014 and 2019, coinciding with the introduction of the TVPA. However, current vape use plateaued between 2018-2019 and 2021-2022, suggesting stabilization that may reflect both the longer-term impact of regulatory measures and changes brought by the pandemic. Based on 2021-2022 data, high school students, rural residents, females, Indigenous adolescents, and those in Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest odds of reporting vape use in the past 30 days.

Our results demonstrate a substantial increase in the current vape use among adolescents from 2014 to 2019, followed by a plateau. Therefore, increased and sustained efforts are needed to prevent and regulate vape use among Canadian adolescents, especially within at-risk groups.