Peer Crowd Analysis and Segmentation for Vaping and Tobacco – Executive Summary

POR Number: 074-17
Contract Number: HT372-174151 001 CY
Contract Award Date: 2018-01-09
Contract Value: $199,355.45 (including HST)
Date of Submission: 2018-11-01

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Phoenix SPI is a Gold Seal Certified Corporate Member of the MRIA

Executive summary

Health Canada commissioned Phoenix SPI to conduct public opinion research with Canadian youth and young adults aged 13 to 24 on issues related to vaping products and tobacco use. The research consisted of 1) a literature review and secondary analysis of current evidence-based studies on youth and young adults’ risk behaviours, motivations to engage in risky behaviour, core values, and interests; 2) a series of eight in-person focus groups and eight in-person triads; and 3) an online survey of 3,004 Canadians aged 13 to 24. The focus groups were held in Toronto (English) and Montreal (French) February 12 and 13, 2018 and the triads were conducted in Toronto (English) on February 24 and June 2, Montreal (French) on February 24, and Ottawa (English and French) on June 2. The fieldwork for the online survey was conducted between March 26 and April 24, 2018. More details on the methodology can be found in the Methodology section of the Introduction and Annex 3.

The main objective of the research was to generate results for Health Canada to use to better reach those Canadians with the highest susceptibility of smoking/vaping and to encourage them to make informed choices. The results are intended to increase the Department’s knowledge base and contribute to future public awareness and education campaigns.

Key findings^{Footnote 1} including the following:

Smoking and Vaping: Profile

• Just over one in 10 Canadian youth/young adults smoke or vape: 6% vape, 6% smoke, and 3% vape and smoke.^{Footnote 2}
• Youth and young adults who vape choose nicotine-based fluids almost as frequently as they choose those that are nicotine-free. Specifically, two-thirds said they sometimes (43%) or always (24%) choose fluids with nicotine, and seven in 10 sometimes (50%) or always (20%) choose nicotine-free fluids.
• For those who smoke or vape, smoking is a daily activity for just over four in 10 (43%) smokers whereas vaping is done on a daily basis for one-quarter (24%) of vapers.
• Once youth and young adults start smoking or vaping, the frequency of use is similar with nearly three in 10 smoking (28%) or vaping (29%) more than when they started, one-third smoking (34%) or vaping (35%) about the same amount as when they first started, and one-third smoking (36%) or vaping (33%) less.
• More than half of smokers started smoking due to peer group behaviour (56%) and most vapers started because friends were (44%) or because they liked the flavour/smell of vape fluids (39%).
• Most (81%) of those who smoke and vape said they started smoking first.

Perceptions about Social Acceptance, Addiction and Risks

• Smokers and vapers see vaping as more acceptable than non-smokers and non-vapers: 17% share the view that vaping is a big deal (compared to 45% of non-smokers and non-vapers) and nearly three in 10 (29%) agreed that vaping is embarrassing or not cool (compared to 54% of non-smokers and non-vapers). In addition, 39% agreed that smoking is not socially acceptable (compared to 57% of non-smokers and non-vapers).
• Nearly all who do not smoke or vape (91%) agreed that smoking is addictive. Views among smokers and vapers were similar: 82% agreed that cigarette smoking is addictive. Additionally, 78% of non-smokers and non-vapers and 57% of smokers and vapers agreed that nicotine is a toxic chemical that should be avoided. More than half (56%) of non-smokers and non-vapers believe vaping is addictive compared to 41% of smokers and vapers. While 44% of non-smokers and non-vapers said vaping is no healthier than smoking cigarettes, only one-third (33%) of smokers and vapers held this view.
• Youth and young adults, regardless of whether they currently smoke or vape, believe smoking on a regular basis carries serious risks. Almost all survey respondents (96%) believe smoking cigarettes on a regular basis is at least slightly harmful. While not seen as risky, 91% of non-smokers and non-vapers believe vaping nicotine on a regular basis is harmful with 52% believing it presents a great risk, 34% a moderate risk, and 5% a slight risk. Smokers and vapers see this as less risky than non-smokers and non-vapers, with 28% viewing vaping nicotine as a great risk, 41% as a moderate risk, and 20% as a slight risk.
• Noteworthy differences in perceptions between vapers and smokers include the following:
  • Vapers were more likely to agree that vaping can help smokers quit or reduce smoking, as well as to disagree that vaping is no healthier than smoking cigarettes.
  • Smokers were more likely than vapers to disagree with the statement “smoking regular cigarettes is not socially acceptable” and to agree with the statement “vaping is embarrassing/not cool”. They were also more likely than vapers to say that living a healthy tobacco-free, drug-free lifestyle, taking a stand against smoking, and taking a stand against vaping are not important.

Social Media, Peer Groups and Leisure Activities

• Youth and young adults use the major social media channels on a daily basis with similar frequency: Facebook (72%), Instagram (65%), YouTube (61%) and Snapchat (61%). In contrast, 22% use Twitter on a daily basis, 12% Pinterest, and 7% Tumblr.
• Friends and family are the main influencers youth and young adults follow, with friends being the most followed group—85% compared to 67% for family members.
• By a wide margin, youth and young adults describe their friends as “academically-oriented” (44%). Mentioned less frequently are friend groups described as “athletically-oriented” (26%), as “preppy” or “popular” (21%), as “gamers” (20%), and as kids that have an interest in the arts (15%).
• The youth and young adults who participated in the qualitative research identified the “popular” kids and the “rebels” as being the most likely to smoke or vape. The “popular” kids were seen as trend followers who smoke or vape because they think it is cool, and the “rebels” were seen to smoke (not vape) as way to cultivate their image as an outsider/non-trend follower.
• Youth/young adults spend most of their leisure time online (80%), listening to music (78%), with their family (70%), watching TV (69%) or movies (68%), and spending time with friends by text/Facetime/Skype (65%) or hanging out at each others’ houses (63%).

Segmentation

Youth and young adults aged 16 to 24 were segmented into seven distinct groups based on their psychographic, behavioural and attitudinal characteristics. Several analytical techniques were used: a factor analysis, a decision tree analysis and a regression analysis. The seven segments, and their proportion of the population, are:

• Thrill Seeking Rule Breakers (24%)
• Conscientious Activists (18%)
• Defiant Partiers (16%)
• Rule Followers (15%)
• Outsiders (12%)
• Creative Conformists (9%)
• Irreverent Risk Takers (7%).

Detailed information on each of these segments can be found in the Detailed Findings: 2. Segmentation Results.

In terms of likelihood of smoking, they present the following risks:

• Low risk: Rule Followers, Creative Conformists, and Conscientious Activists
• Medium risk: Outsiders, Defiant Partiers, and Thrill Seeking Rule Breakers
• High risk: Irreverent Risk Takers

In terms of likelihood of vaping, they present the following risks:

• Low risk: Rule Followers, Conscientious Activists, and Creative Conformists
• Medium risk: Defiant Partiers, Outsiders, Thrill Seeking Rule Breakers, and Irreverent Risk Takers
• High risk: A majority of none of the segments represents a high risk for vaping. That said, “Irreverent Risk Takers” and “Thrill Seeking Rule Breakers” are more likely than average to present a high risk.

With this in mind, the main target audiences for anti-smoking and anti-vaping messages are likely the four segments at medium to high risk of starting to smoke or vape: “Defiant Partiers”, “Outsiders”, “Thrill Seeking Rule Breakers”, and “Irreverent Risk Takers”. Majorities of the members of these segments consume alcohol, and with one exception—“Outsiders”—also use cannabis.

When it comes to smoking cessation messages, “Irreverent Risk Takers” present the most immediate need for intervention given that members of this segment are significantly more likely to smoke or vape. Members of this segment are also more likely to be older (20-24 years of age), to characterize their friends as “hip hop”, to listen to hip-hop/rap, and to spend their leisure time attending concerts, going to bars, and hanging out a friends’ houses.

The contract value was $199,355.45 (including HST).