Smoking rates have declined faster since e-cigarettes became available on the market. And this is particularly true among young people. This is according to a statistical study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
A more widespread use of e-cigarettes has likely resulted in fewer people using cigarettes in Canada between 2012 and 2020.
According to a study, recently published in Journal of Public Health, the introduction of vejp products on the market, combined with regulation, has accelerated the already ongoing 15% decline among adults.
Fewer young smokers
For young people, aged between 15 and 24, the decline has been even more striking - between 30% and 40% faster than previously predicted.
The researchers arrived at their findings by comparing projections based on figures from 1999 and 2012, with the actual reduction between 2012 and 2020.
Unjustified concerns - and taste bans
The Canadian government, together with the National Public Health Agency, has assumed that the uptake of e-cigarettes among young people is likely to lead to more people taking up smoking later in life. Several provinces have therefore introduced flavor restrictions to reduce use among young Canadians.
The researchers behind the study say that these concerns do not match reality. The proportion of smokers continues to fall, despite an increase in the use of e-cigarettes.
"Smoking is declining at a faster rate now than in the past. There is a clear link to the spread of e-cigarettes, even when we exclude other factors," the researchers say in their analysis.
Other studies conducted in the US in the past have at various occasions in the US, shown in a similar outcomes.
