Baseline Surveys: The Health Effects of Tobacco and Health Warning Messages on Cigarette Packages (disponible en anglais seulement)

7.0 Toxic Substances

When Canadian adults are asked, top- of-mind what, if any, chemicals or toxic substances they can name that are in cigarettes or cigarette smoke, 73 percent mention nicotine. A majority also mention tar (53%). Fourteen percent mention carbon monoxide and 25 percent mention other toxic substances. Five percent say there are no chemicals or toxic substances in cigarettes or cigarette smoke and eight percent offer no opinion.

Adult smokers, especially younger adults, are more likely than Canadian adults in general to mention tar and carbon monoxide.

When youth are asked what, if any, chemicals or toxic substances they can name that are in cigarettes or cigarette smoke, the largest proportions mention nicotine (48%) and tar (48%). About one in ten mention carbon monoxide (10%) and tobacco (9%). Thirty percent mention other toxic substances. Four percent say there are no chemicals or toxic substances in cigarettes or cigarette smoke and 18 percent offer no opinion.

Boys are more likely than girls to mention tar. Older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, youth smokers and potential smokers are more likely than others to mention nicotine and tar. Youth smokers are also more likely to mention carbon monoxide.

When asked if they can name any chemicals or toxic substances that are currently listed on a cigarette package (without looking at a cigarette package), the largest proportion of Canadians mention nicotine (42%). A slightly smaller number mention tar (33%). Nine percent mention carbon monoxide. Three percent mention some other toxic substance. Twenty-five percent say there are no chemicals or toxic substances currently listed on cigarette packages and 24 percent offer no opinion.

Adult smokers are more likely than Canadian adults in general to mention nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. Moreover, younger adult smokers are twice as likely as smokers in general to mention carbon monoxide. Smokers are less likely than adults in general to say there are no chemicals or toxic substances currently listed on cigarette packages and are more likely to offer an opinion.

When asked if they can name any chemicals or toxic substances that are currently listed on a cigarette package (without looking at a cigarette package), the largest proportions of youth mention nicotine (23%) and tar (21%). Eight percent mention carbon monoxide. Six percent mention some other toxic substance. Twenty-two percent say there are no chemicals or toxic substances currently listed on cigarette packages and 43 percent offer no opinion.

Boys, older youth, aged 15 to 18 years, and youth smokers are more likely than others to mention nicotine and tar. Potential smokers are more likely to mention tar. Youth smokers are more likely than others to mention carbon monoxide.

When asked if they can recall any other information about chemicals or toxic substances that are listed on cigarette packages (without looking at a cigarette package), a majority of Canadian adults (55%) say there is no other information on these topics on cigarette packages. Another 30 percent offer no opinion. Small numbers say that cigarette packages list amounts of chemicals in general (10%) and specific amounts of chemicals (4%).

Adult smokers are more likely than adults in general to offer an opinion.

When asked if they can recall any other information about chemicals or toxic substances that are listed on cigarette packages (without looking at a cigarette package), almost one-half of youth (47%) say there is no other information on these topics on cigarette packages. Another 40 percent offer no opinion. Small numbers say that cigarette packages list amounts of chemicals in general (7%) and specific amounts of chemicals (3%).

Youth smokers are more likely than youth in general to express an opinion and are more likely to mention that cigarette packages list amounts of chemicals in general.