How Many Canadian Teens Smoke or Vape?
Key takeaways
Health Canada's 2023-24 student survey found that 15% of students in grades 7 to 12 vaped and 4% smoked cigarettes in the past 30 days, and neither figure changed significantly from 2021-22. Rates climb steeply with grade: 4% of Grade 7 students vaped, against 27% in Grade 12. Other surveys use different ages and give different numbers, so compare like with like.
Three official surveys count young people who smoke or vape, and they do not agree because they do not ask the same people. This page lines them up, starting with the one that reaches the most students: Health Canada’s Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey for 2023-24, published in March 2025.
What did the 2023-24 student survey find?
About 51,844 students in grades 7 to 12 completed it between September 2023 and June 2024, weighted to represent roughly 1.79 million students in nine provinces. Quebec did not take part. The survey runs every two years.
| Measure (past 30 days unless noted) | All students | Grade 7 | Grade 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked cigarettes | 4% | 1% | 10% |
| Vaped (any vape, cannabis excluded) | 15% | 4% | 27% |
Fourteen per cent used a vape containing nicotine. Two other numbers stand out. Lifetime cigarette use was 17%, down from 37% in 2008-2009, which is the clearest long view of how far smoking among teens has fallen. And vaping was 22% in rural areas against 13% in urban ones.
Did rates change since the last survey?
No, not by a margin the survey can detect. Health Canada reports no statistically significant change in past 30-day cigarette use or vaping from 2021-22 to 2023-24. In 2021-22 the same survey, then called the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, found 17% of students vaped and that 55% thought getting a nicotine e-cigarette would be fairly or very easy.
What do the other surveys say?
| Survey | Who it covers | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2022 | People aged 15 to 19, ten provinces, non-institutionalized population | 4.2% smoked; 13.6% vaped in the past 30 days; 30.0% had ever vaped |
| Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 2024 | Ages 12 to 17 | 5.8% vaped (the figure Health Canada cites) |
| Student survey, 2023-24 | Grades 7 to 12, in school, nine provinces | 4% smoked; 15% vaped |
The tobacco and nicotine survey collected answers from 30 November 2022 to 31 January 2023. Its 13.6% and the student survey’s 15% describe similar age groups at a similar level, while the 5.8% comes from a different survey and a different year, so the three are not a trend line. We found no official page that explains the gap, and we do not guess at it here.
Is Canada meeting its youth vaping goal?
Health Canada set a goal of youth vaping below 10% by 2025 for ages 12 to 17 and reports 5.8% for 2024. The overall federal goal is tobacco use below 5% by 2035. Both are described in the federal tobacco control strategy.
How should I cite these numbers?
Name the survey, the age range and the year, and quote the recall period (past 30 days, not “ever”). A line like “15% of students in grades 7 to 12 vaped in the past 30 days (Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2023-24)” will survive a fact-check. For adults and provinces see smoking statistics in Canada; for the laws that limit sales to minors, read youth and tobacco. Health effects of vaping are covered in e-cigarette risks and benefits. Our how to cite us page explains how to credit this page.
Health information is general and educational. It does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or nurse. Read the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Canadian students vape?
In Health Canada's 2023-24 Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 15% of students in grades 7 to 12 had vaped (cannabis excluded) in the past 30 days. The share was 4% in Grade 7 and 27% in Grade 12.
Is youth vaping going up or down in Canada?
The student survey found no statistically significant change in past 30-day vaping between 2021-22 and 2023-24. Health Canada reports a separate 2024 result of 5.8% for ages 12 to 17, below its 10% goal for 2025.
Why do the survey numbers for teen vaping differ so much?
They measure different groups. One surveys students in grades 7 to 12 in school, another covers people aged 15 to 19 in households, and a third covers ages 12 to 17. Gaps between 15%, 13.6% and 5.8% come from different surveys, years and age ranges, not from one trend.
How many Canadian teens smoke cigarettes?
The 2023-24 student survey found 4% of students in grades 7 to 12 had smoked in the past 30 days, ranging from 1% in Grade 7 to 10% in Grade 12. The 2022 tobacco and nicotine survey put current smoking at 4.2% for ages 15 to 19.
Sources
- Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey 2023-2024: key findings — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS): summary of results for 2022 — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Addressing Tobacco and Vaping Product Use in Canada — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.
- Vaping in Canada: what we know — Health Canada. Accessed October 27, 2026.