In recent years, the use of e-cigarettes by Canadian teenagers has attracted widespread attention. The latest survey shows that among the 15-19-year-old youth group, the proportion of e-cigarette use in the past 30 days is as high as 31%, which is a significant increase from 13%-15% in the previous four years. This data not only reveals the public health crisis, but also exposes the complex contradiction between policy supervision and industry responsibility.
A survey by the Canadian Ministry of Health in 2024 showed that the e-cigarette use rate of teenagers aged 15-19 doubled from four years ago to 31%. A survey of students in grades 7-12 in 2023 further showed that 29% of students had tried e-cigarettes, of which the use rate of students in grades 10-12 was as high as 41%.
17% of teenagers used e-cigarettes regularly in the past month, and this proportion rose to 24% among senior students; 8% of teenagers used e-cigarettes every day, and the daily use rate of senior students was close to 12%, the highest level in the world. The rate of e-cigarette use among Alberta youth has doubled in the past seven years, reaching one-third of the 15-19 age group, becoming a microcosm of the national e-cigarette epidemic.
Although the federal government earns $75 million in revenue each year through e-cigarette taxes, key regulations such as the ban on flavored e-cigarettes have long stagnated due to industry lobbying. The illegal e-cigarette market has expanded, and some companies have bypassed regulation by “disguising flavors” (such as labeling “iced watermelon” instead of “watermelon flavor”) or selling online.
Studies have shown that mixed use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes may cause symptoms such as blurred vision and eye burning in adolescents, and the risk increases with the frequency of use. The concealment of e-cigarettes (such as the device is shaped like a highlighter or USB flash drive) makes it easier for teenagers to hide, making it more difficult for parents and schools to supervise.
Against the backdrop of stricter global regulation, some companies have begun to explore more responsible business models. For example, the e-cigarette brand GUUTUU actively responded to policies and public demands through the following measures:
Strict age verification: Online sales use multiple identity authentication technologies to ensure that products do not flow to minors;
Ingredient transparency: Disclose nicotine content and additive information, and avoid using candy or fruit flavors;
Public welfare advocacy: Cooperate with medical institutions to carry out youth health education activities, emphasizing the potential harm of e-cigarettes.
The case of GUUTUU shows that the dual-track parallel of industry self-discipline and policy implementation may provide a feasible path to solve the problem of youth e-cigarettes.
The Canadian youth e-cigarette crisis urgently needs multi-party collaboration: accelerate the adoption of the ban on flavored e-cigarettes and strengthen the crackdown on the circulation of illegal products; promote standardized production and transparent marketing to avoid misleading propaganda; enhance the supervision awareness of parents and schools, and popularize the knowledge of health risks of e-cigarettes. Only when the government, enterprises and the public work together can the spread of youth e-cigarette use be curbed and the health of the next generation be protected.
Tags: youth e-cigarettes, prominent addiction problems, potential harms of e-cigarettes, guutuu vape