More than two thirds think the federal government made the right decision in printing warning labels on individual cigarettes.
Vancouver, BC [May 9, 2024] – Canadians are open to implementing a regulation related to the sale of cigarettes that was recently introduced in the United Kingdom, a new Research Co. poll has found.
Under the new law, the legal age to purchase cigarettes in the United Kingdom—currently set at 18 years—will increase by one year every year. In essence, people born in or after 2009 will never be allowed to purchase cigarettes.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, almost two thirds of Canadians (65%) have a positive opinion of the UK’s legislation, while 21% hold negative views.
More than three-in-five Canadians (63%) think Canada should consider legislation similar to the one being implemented in the United Kingdom (that is, increase the legal age to purchase cigarettes every year so that people born in or after 2009 are never allowed to purchase cigarettes).
Majorities of Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party (73%), the Conservative Party (67%) and the New Democratic Party (NDP) (63%) in the 2021 federal election would welcome a law that would increase the legal age to purchase cigarettes every year.
Earlier this year, Canada became the first country to mandate printed warning labels on individual cigarettes sold in the country. More than two thirds of Canadians (68%) agree with this decision, while 20% disagree and 11% are undecided.
Just over one-in-five Canadians (21%) smoked tobacco in any form (cigarette, cigar, pipe) over the course of the past year.
Smaller proportions of Canadians smoked marijuana (19%), used an electronic cigarette or e-cigarette (vaping) (16%), consumed marijuana in a non-smoking form (edibles) (15%) or consumed tobacco in a non-smoking form (chewable tobacco) (4%).
Fewer than one-in-five residents of Ontario (18%), British Columbia (also 18%), Atlantic Canada (17%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (16%) smoked tobacco in the past 12 months. The proportions are higher in Quebec (26%) and Alberta (29%).
Similar proportions of Canadians aged 18-to-34 (20%), aged 35-to-54 (22%) and aged 55 and over (21%) smoked tobacco over the past year.
The use of electronic cigarettes is significantly higher among Canadians aged 18-to-34 (27%) than among their counterparts aged 35-to-54 (16%) and aged 55 and over (5%).
“Most Canadians who smoked in the past year (62%) agree with the decision to print warning labels on individual cigarettes sold in Canada,” says Mario Canseco. President of Research Co. “Smokers are evenly split on whether Canada should implement legislation related to the sale of cigarettes similar to the one recently enacted in the United Kingdom.”
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from April 28 to April 30, 2024, among 1,002 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error – which measures sample variability – is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca