Smoking

• Prevalence of Smokers Considering Quitting, 1996 to 1997 Map | Read about this map
• Prevalence of Smoking, 1996 to 1997 Map | Read about this map

Smoking-attributable mortality estimates for males (Figure 1a) and females (Figure 1b) in Canada in 1996 are drawn from the work of Illing and Kaiserman. These figures only summarize the detailed estimates provided by those authors and do not include deaths associated with smoking-related fires.

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Figure 1a. Males: Mortality Attributable to Tobacco Use in Canada, 1996

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Figure 1b. Females: Mortality Attributable to Tobacco Use in Canada, 1996

Smoking Behaviours by Gender and Age

A snapshot of smoking prevalence by gender and age is illustrated in Figure 2. As indicated, males are more likely to be smokers than females. Based on the 1996 to 1997 National Population Health Survey (NPHS), 30% of males and 25% of females, 12 years of age and older, were current smokers. The opposite pattern occurs only for teenagers, young women between the ages of 12 and 17 years of age have higher smoking prevalence rates than males of that age grouping. The teenage smoking pattern reflects changes in smoking prevalence rates that have been observed in numerous national and provincial surveys: significant decreases in smoking rates for both male and female teenagers from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s; and then slight increases throughout the 1990s, but particularly for young women.

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Figure 2. Current Smokers by Age and Gender, 1996/1997