Ontario leading the charge in national decrease in smoking habits

The number of smokers in Canada has seen a staggering decline over the last few years, and Ontario is contributing to those numbers by a hefty margin.

Newly revealed data by My Choice Financial — a Canadian insurance firm — in partnership with Statistics Canada has illuminated that since 2019, cigarette smoking numbers nationwide have decreased by nearly 19 per cent.

The data, collected from 2019 to 2022, showed that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to a national shift in mood regarding cigarette consumption.

Specifically, by impacting cigarette smoking rates among people aged 65 and up, who only increased smoking habits by a little over 9 per cent from 2019 to 2022.

However, despite shifts in behavior amongst older Canadians, young adults moved towards more modern tobacco applications, as 20 per cent of Canadians aged 20 to 24 reported an increase in vaping habits.

Concerning the overall smoking decrease, some provinces significantly led the charge, such as Alberta, which saw an overall 24 per cent decrease in smokers across the board during the study’s timeline.

However, Ontarians were quick to put their health first as well, with 19 per cent of provincial residents curbing their smoking habits.

Data for each province is as follows:

For more information on national smoking numbers, visit My Choice Financial’s official website.