Vaping Trends in Canada: What Current Data Shows About Age, Use and Regulation
Vaping in Canada has changed quickly over the past several years, but the trend is not the same across every age group. National surveys show that younger adults continue to report vaping at higher rates than older adults, while youth data require separate interpretation because different federal surveys cover different age ranges and years. Looking at those differences is more useful than treating “Canadian vaping” as one single trend.
The available evidence also shows why market trends cannot be separated from regulation. Canada limits nicotine concentration, restricts how vaping products may be promoted, and applies packaging, labelling and youth-access rules. These measures affect what products are available, how retailers present them, and how consumers encounter vaping products online and in stores.
What the Current Data Actually Shows
One of the biggest problems with vaping statistics is that figures from different surveys are often compared as if they measure the same population. They do not. The Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), for example, reported that 6.2% of Canadian adults used an e-cigarette or vaped in the previous 30 days in 2023. Among adults aged 18 to 34, the rate was about 13%, making vaping substantially more common in that age group than among Canadian adults overall. Statistics Canada’s 2023 health-behaviour data provides the broader adult context.
Youth and young-adult estimates from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) use different age bands. In 2022, 13.6% of 15- to 19-year-olds and 19.7% of 20- to 24-year-olds reported vaping in the past 30 days. The same survey found 3.9% among adults aged 25 and older. Health Canada’s 2022 CTNS summary makes clear that age remains one of the strongest differences in vaping prevalence.
That distinction matters because the original draft mixed adult and youth figures and contained several obvious wording errors, including references to “eating” instead of vaping. A more accurate article should identify the survey, year and age group every time a percentage is used rather than blending unrelated figures into one national trend.
Young Adults Remain the Highest-Use Adult Group
Recent adult data continue to show that vaping is most common among younger adults. In the 2023 CCHS, approximately 13% of adults aged 18 to 34 had vaped in the previous 30 days, compared with 6.2% of adults overall. The pattern was also different by sex: 7.4% of men and 5.0% of women reported vaping in 2023, with a wider gap inside the 18-to-34 age group.
These numbers should not be read as proof that vaping is moving uniformly upward or downward. Survey design, age ranges and the year measured all matter. What they do show consistently is that younger adults make up a disproportionate share of current vaping compared with older adults.
Youth Vaping Requires More Careful Interpretation
Claims that youth vaping is simply “falling” can be misleading without specifying the source and time period. In the 2022 CTNS, past-30-day vaping among 15- to 19-year-olds was 13.6% and was described as unchanged from 2021. That is different from saying youth vaping had broadly declined across Canada.
Canada now uses multiple survey systems for youth and adult nicotine-use monitoring. Health Canada notes that the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth has been conducted annually since 2023 for younger populations, while the Canadian Community Health Survey covers adults aged 18 and older from 2023 onward. For readers, this means trend comparisons should use like-for-like age groups and survey methods whenever possible. Health Canada’s survey and research overview explains the current survey landscape.
What Is Shaping Vaping Behaviour in Canada?
There is no single explanation for changes in vaping. Regulation, nicotine dependence, smoking history, social influence, stress, product availability and individual preference can all play a role. Health Canada’s published summaries show that reasons for vaping also differ by age. Younger respondents are more likely to report reasons such as stress, while adults aged 25 and older are more likely to cite reducing, quitting or avoiding a return to cigarette smoking.
This is one reason broad statements about “why people vape” are usually too simplistic. A teenager who experiments socially, a young adult who uses nicotine daily and an older smoker trying to move away from cigarettes may all appear in the same national statistic, but their motivations are not the same.
Nicotine Limits Have Changed the Legal Product Market
Since July 2021, federal rules have capped the nicotine concentration of vaping products manufactured or imported for sale in Canada at 20 mg/mL. Health Canada also prohibits packaging and sale where the displayed nicotine concentration exceeds that limit. The Nicotine Concentration in Vaping Products Regulations are an important part of understanding how the legal Canadian market differs from some international markets where higher-strength products may still be sold.
Health Canada has also warned that some products labelled at 20 mg/mL have tested above the limit, which is why regulators encourage manufacturers, importers and distributors to verify nicotine concentrations through documentation or laboratory testing. Health Canada’s compliance guidance provides more detail on how nicotine compliance is assessed.
Flavours and Product Preferences Still Matter
Product preferences are another part of the market picture. Health Canada’s 2022 survey data showed that fruit flavours were commonly reported among people who had vaped in the previous 30 days. But flavour preference should not be treated as a stand-alone explanation for vaping behaviour. Nicotine dependence, smoking history, convenience, social context and device format can be equally important.
For consumers researching products online, the useful question is not whether one store carries the most flavours, but whether product information is clear and consistent with Canadian requirements. When reviewing a vape store online or comparing it with another retailer, readers can look at nicotine concentration, required warnings, age restrictions, shipping policies and product labelling rather than relying only on flavour names or promotional claims. This is a practical standard that can be applied to any retailer, not an endorsement of a particular store.
Online Promotion Is More Restricted Than Many Consumers Realize
Canada’s federal Vaping Products Promotion Regulations are designed in part to prevent vaping advertising from being seen or heard by young people. Health Canada states that online advertisers must effectively restrict youth access by verifying age and identity; simply asking a visitor to check a box or self-declare a birth date is not considered sufficient verification for restricted online advertising.
Permitted vaping advertisements may also be required to carry a health warning, and federal law prohibits several forms of promotion that could appeal to young people. Health Canada’s promotion-regulation information sheet outlines these requirements.
Packaging and Labelling Are Part of the Trend Story Too
Legal vaping products containing nicotine must meet specific packaging and labelling requirements. Health Canada says legal nicotine-containing vaping products must display ingredient information and nicotine concentration and must use prescribed warnings and safety information. Products containing at least 0.1 mg/mL nicotine must also be in child-resistant packaging. Health Canada’s vaping product safety page summarizes these consumer-facing requirements.
These rules are relevant to market trends because they shape which products can legally be sold, how packaging looks, and how retailers describe their inventory. They also give consumers objective details to check rather than relying on marketing language.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of Canadian adults vape?
Statistics Canada reported that 6.2% of Canadian adults used an e-cigarette or vaped in the previous 30 days in 2023. Among adults aged 18 to 34, the rate was about 13%.
Which age group has the highest vaping rate in Canada?
Younger age groups consistently report higher vaping prevalence than older adults, although exact comparisons depend on the survey. In the 2022 CTNS, 20- to 24-year-olds had the highest past-30-day rate among the listed age groups at 19.7%. In the 2023 adult CCHS, vaping was most common among adults aged 18 to 34 at about 13%.
What is the legal nicotine limit for vaping products in Canada?
The federal maximum for vaping products manufactured or imported for sale in Canada is 20 mg/mL of nicotine.
Is youth vaping decreasing in Canada?
The answer depends on the specific year, age group and survey. The 2022 CTNS reported past-30-day vaping among 15- to 19-year-olds at 13.6%, unchanged from 2021. Newer youth surveillance uses different survey programs, so claims about increases or decreases should always cite the exact source and comparison period.
What the Trend Means
The clearest takeaway is that vaping in Canada is not moving in one simple direction. Younger adults continue to vape at higher rates than older adults, youth trends need to be interpreted survey by survey, and the legal market is being shaped by tighter rules on nicotine strength, promotion, packaging and youth access.
For readers trying to understand where the market is heading, the most useful approach is to focus on dated, age-specific statistics and current regulatory guidance rather than broad claims about whether vaping is simply “up” or “down.” That produces a more accurate picture of both consumer behaviour and the Canadian vaping market.
Authorities & Sources
- Statistics Canada — Health behaviours (2023 adult vaping data) — Adult vaping prevalence, including the 18-to-34 age group.
- Health Canada — Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey: 2022 summary — Past-30-day vaping by age group, nicotine use and related survey findings.
- Health Canada — Vaping in Canada: What we know — Federal overview of vaping prevalence, reasons for vaping and survey sources.
- Health Canada — Vaping products regulations — Federal nicotine concentration, labelling, packaging and promotion requirements.
- Health Canada — Vaping Products Promotion Regulations: Information Sheet — Requirements for online promotion, youth access restrictions and health warnings.
- Health Canada — Vaping product safety — Consumer-facing information on legal product packaging, warnings and nicotine limits.
- Health Canada — Tobacco and vaping surveys, statistics and research — Overview of current survey programs and age coverage.
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not medical, legal or regulatory advice. Vaping is not risk-free, nicotine is addictive, and vaping products should not be used by youth or people who do not already use tobacco or nicotine products. Federal, provincial and territorial rules may change. Readers should verify current requirements with Health Canada and the relevant provincial or territorial authority.
