Vapers Panel Survey to Measure Attitudes and Behaviours Regarding Vaping Products - Final Report

Supplier Name: Environics Research
Contract Number: HT372-183811/001/CY
Contract Value: $149,432.56 (including HST)
Award Date: 2018-11-30
Delivery Date: 2019-03-29

Registration Number: POR 083-18

For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

Ce rapport est aussi disponible en français.

Vapers Panel Survey to Measure Attitudes and Behaviours Regarding Vaping Products

Final report

Prepared for Health Canada by Environics Research

March 2019

This public opinion research report presents the results of an online survey conducted by Environics Research on behalf of Health Canada. The research was conducted between February 4 and 26, 2019 with Canadians aged 15 and over who are vapers.

Permission to reproduce

This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only. Prior written permission must be obtained from Health Canada. For more information on this report, please contact Health Canada at: hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2019.

Cat. No. H14-316/2019E-PDF

ISBN 978-0-660-30401-4

Related publications (registration number: POR 083-18):
Catalogue number H14-316/2019F-PDF (Final report, French)
ISBN 978-0-660-30402-1

Aussi offert en français sous le titre Sondage par panel de vapoteurs visant à mesurer les attitudes et les comportements à l’égard des produits de vapotage

Table of Contents

• Executive summary
• Introduction
• I. Detailed findings
  • A. Profile of regular vapers
  • B. Vaping use
  • C. Pictures of vaping products
  • D. Information/advertising
  • E. Cigarette use
  • F. Social acceptance
  • G. Nicotine salts
  • H. Heated tobacco products
• Appendix A: Methodology
• Appendix B: Research instruments

Executive summary

Background and objectives

The Government of Canada has introduced new legislation to regulate the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of vaping products in Canada. The goal is to protect youth and non-users of tobacco products from nicotine addiction and inducements to tobacco use, while allowing adults to legally access vaping products as a less harmful alternative to tobacco.

Vaping products have been in the North American market for approximately a decade. With only a few studies available, data are limited on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Canadians as they relate to vaping products. Health Canada is interested in better understanding how Canadians are using vaping products.

This public opinion research will assist in monitoring how the new regulatory regime may be affecting consumer behaviour with respect to vaping products and will help inform policy and regulatory decision making in the face of a rapidly changing market. More specifically, it will provide additional data about the impact of the introduction of JUUL to the Canadian market in September 2018 (JUUL has captured 70% of the US market) and the effects that the legalization/regulation of cannabis will have on the use of nicotine/non-nicotine vaping products.

The main objective of this research is to gather information on the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians who are regular vapers aged 15 years and older with respect to vaping products. The specific research objectives were to:

• Measure Canadian regular vapers' level of awareness and knowledge of vaping products;
• Gather information on Canadian regular vapers' behaviours with respect to vaping products, including product evolution;
• Gather information on the vaping devices and e-liquids currently being used by Canadian vapers.

Methodology

To address the research objectives, an online survey was conducted with Canadians aged 15 and older who are regular vapers - defined as those who vaped at least once a week for the past four weeks. Environics conducted a total of 2,027 surveys with this target audience between February 4 and 26, 2019.

Survey respondents were drawn from among panels of individuals who have agreed to participate in online surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the demographic composition of regular vapers in Canada according to the 2015 Canadian Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Study (CTADS). Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated and the results cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population.

Three age groups are discussed throughout the report and defined as follows: youth vapers (15-19 years old), young adult vapers (20-24 years old) and adult vapers (25+ years old).

Contract value

The contract value was $149,432.56 (HST included).

Key findings

The research results reveal two differing orientations towards vaping based on age. In general, adult vapers tend to perceive vaping in a more practical light. They are most likely to be current or former smokers, who are using vaping products to quit smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. They tend to stick to one device (that is easy to use) and to one flavour, and to vape in the privacy of their home.

The profile of youth and young adult vapers suggests a more recreational approach to vaping. In general, these age groups appear more likely to vape because it is appealing: they are more likely to switch between devices and flavours; to appreciate what their device looks like (colours) and what it can do (tricks); and to vape in social settings outside the home. A potential key factor is that youth and young adult vapers report much greater exposure to peer vaping through friends and classmates.

The following are the key findings of the research:

Vaping use and attitudes

• Overall, regular vapers are slightly younger and include a greater proportion of males than the overall Canadian 15+ population. The majority (67%) vape with liquids containing nicotine and four in ten vape non-nicotine liquids. Four in ten describe themselves as daily vapers, and more than half (57%) vape 15 or more days per month. The majority (56%) have been vaping for more than a year, although youth vapers are more likely to have recently picked it up.
• Half (53%) of regular vapers are using the same vaping device brand or model they started with. Based on the pictures provided¹, most vaping devices were either second generation pens or had modifiable design characteristics of the third generation. The feature regular vapers like most about their device is their ease of use, although flavours, device colours and the ability to do tricks is of relatively greater importance to youth vapers. Vaping is most likely to take place at home, while youth vapers are more likely than others to also vape at parties, at recreational areas or at school.
• Vape shops are the top source for vaping devices and liquids, regardless of age, although the proportion who purchase online is higher for young adult vapers, while youth vapers are relatively more likely than adult vapers to source their vaping products from friends and others. One in three (33%) regular vapers are regularly asked to provide proof of age when purchasing in-store or online, although youth vapers (58%) are more likely to encounter this requirement.
• Almost half (47%) of regular vapers have tried to reduce how often they vape and one in four (25%) have tried to quit. One in three (35%) plan to quit vaping in the next year, which skews strongly to those who have tried to quit before (68%). Regular vapers also report a high degree of switching between nicotine and non-nicotine varieties and between varying nicotine strengths.
• Reasons for vaping depend on smoking history, with dual users and former smokers most commonly using it for smoking cessation. Never smokers - of whom most (70%) are youth or young adult vapers - choose to vape because they like the flavours/smells, as a social activity, or for emotional reasons (e.g, it's fun, reduces boredom).
• Regular vapers generally agree that vaping products, both with and without nicotine, are less harmful than cigarettes (66% and 76%, respectively) and can be a useful cessation aid (75% and 70%). Regular vapers also believe vaping is more socially acceptable than smoking, and experience this in their own lives, with fewer hearing disapproval for their vaping than for their smoking (if they are dual users).

Vaping information and advertising

• Regular vapers demonstrate interest in vaping information, with half seeking information about: the health effects of vaping versus smoking (54%), using vaping products to quit smoking (53%) and the health consequences of vaping (51%). In addition, four in ten say they read the health and product information printed on vaping products themselves (40% always or often).
• Recall of recent advertising or promotional materials about vaping is fairly limited (28%), although it is relatively higher among youth and young adult vapers. Recall is mainly about particular brands of vaping devices, although youth are most likely to recall vaping lifestyle content. Social media is the top recalled source of this advertising, which is most commonly believed to be paid content created by a company (rather than content created by friends or others). Young adult vapers are also more apt than others to recall online shopping links and access codes, likely because they do more online purchasing.

Cigarette use

• The majority of vapers (60%) also smoke cigarettes and thus are dual users; this proportion is higher among young adult and adult vapers, but nonetheless includes almost half (45%) of youth vapers. Most dual users (85%) tried cigarettes first, although this is less the case among youth (64%), who are in turn more likely to have vaped first. Dual users who smoked first say vaping has reduced their frequency of smoking. However, those who vaped first (13% of dual users) say that smoking has subsequently increased their frequency of vaping.
• Vaping products with nicotine play an important role in the smoking cessation attempts of dual users who are trying to quit, and the quit success of former smokers. Similarly, both former smokers and dual users trying to quit believe it is at least somewhat important to have a range of vaping flavours available to them. This dual user group that is trying to quit tends to use an ad hoc approach/no set plan in place (58%) rather than a set plan that gradually tapers the number of cigarettes smoked (34%).

Political neutrality statement and contact information

I hereby certify as senior officer of Environics that the deliverables fully comply with the Government of Canada political neutrality requirements outlined in the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, and Procedures for Planning and Contracting Public Opinion Research. Specifically, the deliverables do not include information on electoral voting intentions, political party preferences, standings with the electorate, or ratings of the performance of a political party or its leaders.

Sarah Roberton
Vice President, Corporate and Public Affairs
sarah.roberton@environics.ca
613-699-6884

Supplier name: Environics Research Group
PWGSC contract number: HT372-183811/001/CY
Original contract date: 2018-11-30
For more information, contact Department at hc.cpab.por-rop.dgcap.sc@canada.ca

Introduction

Background

The Government of Canada has introduced new legislation to regulate the manufacture, sale, labelling and promotion of vaping products in Canada. The goal is to protect youth and non-users of tobacco products from nicotine addiction and inducements to tobacco use, while allowing adults to legally access vaping products as a less harmful alternative to tobacco.

Vaping products have been in the North American market for approximately a decade. With only a few studies available, data are limited on the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Canadians as they relate to vaping products. Health Canada is interested in better understanding how Canadians are using vaping products.

This public opinion research will assist in monitoring how the new regulatory regime may be affecting consumer behaviour with respect to vaping products and will help inform policy and regulatory decision making in the face of a rapidly changing market. More specifically, it will provide additional data about the impact of the introduction of JUUL to the Canadian market in September 2018 (JUUL has captured 70% of the US market) and the effects that the legalization/regulation of cannabis will have on the use of nicotine/non-nicotine vaping products.

Research objectives

The main objective of this research is to gather information on the attitudes and behaviours of Canadians who are regular vapers aged 15 years and older with respect to vaping products. Regular vapers are defined as those who vaped at least once a week for the past four weeks. The specific research objectives were to:

• Measure Canadian regular vapers' level of awareness and knowledge of vaping products;
• Gather information on Canadian regular vapers' behaviours with respect to vaping products, including product evolution;
• Gather information on the vaping devices and e-liquids currently being used by Canadian vapers.

About the report

This report begins with an executive summary outlining key findings, followed by a detailed analysis of the survey data. Statistically significant differences between subgroups are bolded where they exist.

Three age groups are discussed throughout the report and defined as follows: youth vapers (15-19 years old), young adult vapers (20-24 years old) and adult vapers (25+ years old).

The regular vaper population is also divided into three segments based on their smoking status: dual users (daily or occasional smokers), former smokers (not currently smoking, but have smoked 100 cigarettes over their lifetime) and never smokers (not currently smoking and have not smoked 100 cigarettes over their lifetime).

Provided under a separate cover is a set of detailed "banner tables" presenting the results for all questions by population segments (including by region, demographics and vaping and smoking behaviours). These tables are referenced by the survey question in the detailed analysis.

A detailed description of the methodology used to conduct this research is presented in Appendix A as well as the survey instrument in Appendix B.

Throughout the report, results are expressed as percentages unless otherwise noted. Where base sizes are reported in tables and charts, they reflect the actual number of respondents who answered the question. Results may not add to 100% due to rounding or multiple responses. Net results cited in the text may not exactly match individual results shown in the charts due to rounding.

I. Detailed findings

A. Profile of regular vapers

The table below presents an overall picture of what regular vapers (15 years and older) look like regionally and demographically, compared to Census data for the overall Canadian 15+ population. Regular vapers differ from the population at large most strikingly in terms of age and gender: they are more likely to be male and to be younger (under 25). Regionally, regular vapers are slightly overrepresented in Quebec and slightly underrepresented in Ontario.

B. Vaping use

Type of liquids vaped

Regular vapers are much more likely to use liquids containing nicotine than not.

Regular vapers were asked what type of liquids they have vaped in the past 30 days. Two in three (67%) regular vapers vaped liquids containing nicotine, with half (51%) having vaped this liquid type exclusively. These proportions do not vary significantly by age, gender or other demographic segment.

Frequency of vaping

About four in ten regular vapers say they vape daily, which skews higher among those who use liquids with nicotine.

For each of the types of vape liquids they report using in the past 30 days, regular vapers were asked how often they vaped that type of liquid. Reported daily use is twice as high among regular vapers who use liquids with nicotine (50%) than among those who use liquids without nicotine (26%) or are unsure of the nicotine content (26%). Outside of daily users, regular vapers most commonly vape a couple days a week irrespective of the nicotine content of the liquids they vape.

The table below summarizes the total proportion of regular vapers who self-identify as daily vapers (42% say they vape at least one of the vape liquid types every day) versus non-daily vapers (58% do not use any type of vape liquid daily). Note, the "daily vaper" category is based on self-identification only.

Regular vapers are more likely to self-identify as non-daily vapers irrespective of region, gender, or age. However, the proportion of daily vapers is higher in the Atlantic provinces (48%) and lower in Ontario (39%); it does not vary significantly by age or gender. Reported daily vaping also skews higher among those with lower levels of education (51% with a high school education or less, vs. 32% with a university degree).

Regular vapers were also asked on how many days they vaped in the past 30 days. The majority (57%) had vaped at least 15 out of the 30 days, however, based on this question, three in ten (30%) vaped 30 days out of 30. This is a smaller proportion than the four in ten who chose to self-identify as a daily vaper. It may be that these individuals feel it is more accurate to describe themselves as "vaping every day" rather than the next most frequent category of "vaped at least once a week, but not daily", even though they haven't vaped on each of the 30 days. In fact, two-thirds of those who describe themselves as a daily vaper indicate they vaped consecutively for the past 30 days.

The proportions of regular vapers who vape more or less than 15 days per month are consistent across age groups.

Length of time vaping

Close to four in ten regular vapers, and more than half of those aged 15 to 16, have been vaping for less than a year.

The length of time regular vapers have been vaping varies. Almost four in ten (36%) have been vaping for less than a year, including one in four (23%) who have been vaping for less than 6 months. Over half (54%) have been vaping for one to six years. Very few (2%) have been vaping for seven or more years.

Length of vaping experience is related to age. Youth (43%) and young adults (43%) are more likely than their older counterparts (32%) to have been vaping for under a year.

Vaping device usage

The majority of regular vapers are using the same brand of vaping device they started with. However, the proportion who are using a different brand/model skews higher among youth vapers aged 15 to 19.

Over half (53%) of regular vapers are using the same device brand/model they started with. Residents of Quebec are particularly loyal to their original brand. Six in ten (60%) Quebec residents are using the same brand/model they started with, higher than any other province.

Use of their original brand/model skews to vapers of legal age. The proportion of regular vapers who are using a different brand or model than they started with is higher among youth vapers aged 15 to 19 as well as those who are below provincial legal age.

The likelihood that regular vapers use different brands/models increases with the length of time they have been vaping, from under two in ten (19%) of who have been vaping for less than a year to over half (54%) of those who have been vaping for four or more years.

Vaping device features

Regular vapers most appreciate the ease of use of their device, followed by its flavours and size. However, ease of use appears more important to vapers of legal age; flavours, device colours and the ability to do tricks is of relatively greater importance to underage and younger vapers.

Regular vapers were asked about what they like about the vaping device they use most often. The top feature they appreciate is its ease of use (70%). Many also like their devices' flavours (55%) and size (54%), followed by its colour (30%). Regular vapers in the Prairie provinces are more likely than others to say they like the colour of their device (36%).

Regardless of whether regular vapers are of legal age, ease of use and flavours are top features they like about their devices. However, ease of use appears to be more important for those who are of legal age, while those not of age (and those aged 15 to 19) place equal or greater importance on the flavours. Youth and underage vapers are also more likely to say they like the colour of their device and the tricks they can do with it.

Location of vaping

The most popular location for vaping is at home, indoors and outdoors. The proportion who vape at parties, at recreational areas and at school (regardless of indoors or outdoors) is higher among youth vapers.

Vaping is most likely to take place in the home, both indoors (56%) or outdoors (57%). Other common locations to vape include outdoors at parties (39%), while walking on the sidewalk (34%) and outdoors while at work (30%).

Reported vaping locations vary by age. Youth vapers and those under the provincial legal age are more likely than others to vape at parties (indoors and outdoors), outdoors in recreational areas, and at school (outdoors and indoors).

The likelihood of vaping indoors is lower among those with children at home (51%), than among those who do not (61%).

Vaping liquid flavour preference

Fruit flavoured liquids are the most popular among regular vapers, and particularly for youth vapers and those that have never smoked.

The preferred flavour choice for regular vapers is fruit (30%), followed by tobacco flavour (15%), mint/menthol (13%) and candy/confectionary (9%).

Preference for fruit flavour is particularly pronounced among youth vapers (45%) and young adult vapers (39%), while preference for tobacco flavour skews to vapers aged 25 and older.

Fruit is also the preferred flavour regardless of whether regular vapers are daily (32%) or non-daily users (28%), or of their cigarette smoking experience (dual users, former smokers or never smoked). However, preference for fruit flavours is relatively higher among never smokers (42%), while preference for tobacco flavour is relatively higher among current and former smokers (19% and 15%, respectively, versus 3% of never smokers).

Vaping liquid flavour switching

Six in ten regular vapers stick to one flavour, although more than half of this group have switched flavours at least once since they started vaping. Unlike older age groups, youth vapers are more likely to use multiple flavours or to have switched their regular flavour three or more times since they started vaping.

The majority (59%) of regular vapers say they tend to stick to a single flavour of vape liquid, compared to four in ten (39%) who use multiple flavours throughout the day or week. Regular vapers in Quebec in particular show a preference for using a single flavour (66%).

Tendency to switch between multiple flavours varies by age. Close to half (48%) of youth vapers use multiple flavours throughout the day or week, whereas only one-third (36%) of vapers aged 25 years or older do so.

Flavour switch since started vaping. Among regular vapers who tend to stick to one flavour of vape liquid, more than four in ten (44%) are using the same vape liquid flavour with which they started – a proportion that skews to vapers aged 25 and older (49%).

By comparison, more than half (54%) of those that tend to stick to one flavour have switched their flavour at least once since they started vaping. The proportion who have switched flavours three or more times since they started vaping is highest among youth vapers (27% of 15-19 year olds who tend to stick to the same flavour).

Reasons for flavour switching. Those who have used different flavoured vaping liquids were asked about their main reasons for switching flavours. The most common reason is to experiment with the flavours (53%). Others say it depends on their mood (35%) or on price (25%).

Some also say flavour switching helps them gradually quit or reduce smoking cigarettes (24%). This reason is more commonly given by adult vapers (27%) and by current (31%) and former (22%) smokers. Otherwise, reasons given for flavour switching do not vary significantly by age.

Sources of devices and liquids

Vape shops are the top source for vaping devices and liquids, including for youth vapers. However, obtaining vaping products through friends is more widespread among youth vapers and those not yet of legal age than among others.

Vape shops are the top source for devices (71%) and liquids (62%). About one in five usually get their devices (21%) and liquids (22%) online; online purchases are more common among young adult vapers (30% for devices and 33% for liquids) than among youth or adult vapers.

Vape shops are the top source of devices and liquids regardless of age but are more commonly used by regular vapers of legal age. Compared to vapers of legal age, youth vapers and vapers below their province's legal age are more likely to get their devices and liquids from friends or others (non-family), or to ask someone to buy it for them.

Amount spent on devices and liquids

Regular vapers report spending on average $48 for vaping devices and $54 for vaping liquids per month.

The amount regular vapers spend on vaping devices and liquids varies. Regular vapers most often spend between $21 to $50 per month on devices (20%) and liquids (36%), with an average spend of $48 and $54.

Average spend on devices and liquids does not vary significantly by age. However, spending on liquids varies by frequency of use, with daily users spending more on average ($65 per month, versus $44 for non-daily vapers).

Proof of age when purchasing

One in three regular vapers, and six in ten youth vapers, who buy devices or liquids from a store or online are regularly asked to provide proof of age. When purchasing online, it is more common to be asked for photo ID than to click a button attesting to age, particularly for those under 25.

Regular vapers who purchase vaping products either in-store or online were asked about how often they have to prove their age. One in three (33%) say they always or often have to prove their age when purchasing in-store or online, while three in ten (29%) do so less often and almost four in ten (38%) say they never have to do so.

The requirement to prove age is more stringent – but far from universal - for youth vapers and those under provincial legal age, of whom close to half or more (58% and 49%, respectively) are often or always asked to provide proof of age when purchasing vaping products either in-person or online.

Regular vapers were asked about the type of age proof required the most recent time they bought vaping products online. The majority (57%) showed or scanned photo identification, while close to four in ten (39%) clicked a button indicating they are 18 years or older. Youth and young adult vapers are more likely to have been asked to show photo ID (59% and 62%, respectively, vs. 53% of those aged 25 and older).

DIY vape liquid frequency

Most regular vapers never use vaping liquids they have made themselves. However, the practice is more common among users of non-nicotine varieties.

A small proportion (14%) of regular vapers always or often using vaping liquids made from scratch, and another one in five (19%) do so less frequently. However, most regular vapers (65%) never use DIY vaping liquids.

The likelihood to ever use homemade vaping liquids is higher among vapers who use non-nicotine liquids exclusively (39%) or both nicotine and non-nicotine varieties (47%), than among those who use nicotine liquids exclusively (29%). It is also higher among men (38%) than women (31%).

Storing devices and liquids

Regular vapers most often store their devices and liquids on or in an unsecured table or cupboard. Youth vapers and regular vapers with children in the household are relatively more likely than others to choose other locations such as a bag or a locked area.

Regular vapers were asked where they store vape products when not in use. Around half store their devices (49%) and liquids (53%) on a table or shelf or in an unlocked cabinet, cupboard or drawer.

Compared to their older counterparts, youth and young adult vapers are more likely to store devices and liquids in their pocket (devices: 35% and 37%, respectively / liquids: 20% and 17%) or bag (devices: 36% and 37% / liquids: 34% and 34%).

An unsecured location (such as a table, shelf of unlocked cupboard) is the most common place to store vaping devices and liquids regardless of the presence of children in the household, although relatively less so for those with children (44% for devices and 47% for liquids) than without (53% and 58%).

Storage in an unsecured location is, in fact, more common among regular vapers only using liquids containing nicotine (53% for devices and 59% for liquids) than among those who only use liquids without nicotine (43% for devices and 49% for liquids).

Quitting/reducing frequency of use

Almost half of regular vapers have tried to reduce how often they vape and one in four have tried to quit. One in three plan to quit vaping in the next year, which skews strongly to those who have tried to quit before.

Close to half (47%) of regular vapers say they have tried to reduce their frequency of vaping, and one in four (25%) say they have tried to stop altogether.

There are some notable subgroup differences:

• Attempts to reduce vaping frequency are relatively higher among vapers under the age of 25 (53%), while attempts to quit are relatively higher among youth vapers (30%).
• Attempts to quit are more common among vapers using non-nicotine liquids - either alone (31%) or in combination with nicotine liquids (31%) - than among those who exclusively use nicotine liquids (19%).
• Attempts to quit skew higher among dual users (27%) and non-daily users (27%), while attempts to reduce vaping frequency skew higher among former (51%) and never smokers (51%).
• Attempts to quit are more common among regular vapers with children in the household (29%) than those without (23%), although attempts to reduce vaping frequency are similar between the two groups.

One in three regular vapers (35%) plan to quit vaping within the next year. The greatest predictor of quit intentions is previous attempts to quit: two-thirds (68%) of those who have previously tried to quit vaping say they plan to stop in the next year (compared to 23% who have never tried to quit).

Intentions to quit in the next year are also more widespread among non-daily vapers (37%), those who vape non-nicotine varieties exclusively (43%) and those who vape fewer than 15 days per month (41%, vs. 30% who vape 15+ days/month). Quit intentions do not vary significantly by age group.

Switching nicotine strength

Regular vapers report a high degree of switching between nicotine and non-nicotine varieties and between varying nicotine strengths.

In addition to quitting and vaping reduction behaviours, the survey explored the extent of switching between nicotine and non-nicotine varieties and between nicotine strengths.

Switching habits among nicotine/non-nicotine exclusive users. Among regular vapers who exclusively vaped either nicotine or non-nicotine liquids in the past month (74% of the total sample), a majority (65%) have made at least one of these switches. Among this group, the most common switch is from higher to lower nicotine strengths (49%); about one-third have each tried switching between nicotine and non-nicotine liquids (36%) and switching from lower to higher nicotine strengths (34%). Switching between nicotine concentrations (in either direction) is more common among those who vape 15 or more days per month, as well as those who exclusively vape nicotine liquids.

The likelihood of switching between nicotine and non-nicotine varieties, and of switching from lower to higher nicotine strengths, is higher among youth and young adult vapers.

Finally, dual users and former smokers are more apt than never smokers to have switched from higher to lower nicotine strength, while dual users are also the most likely to have gone in the other direction (lower to higher strength) and to have switched between nicotine and non-nicotine varieties in comparison with former and never smokers.

Switching habits among users of both nicotine/non-nicotine. Among regular vapers who vaped liquids both with and without nicotine in the past 30 days (16% of total sample), the majority (68%) switch between the two types of liquids throughout the day or week, while close to four in ten (37%) switch between differing nicotine strengths throughout the day/week.

Just over half (54%) say they are trying to switch from nicotine to non-nicotine liquids, and slightly fewer (47%) are trying to switch from higher to lower nicotine strengths (47%). Attempts to switch to non-nicotine liquids are more common among dual and former smokers, while attempts to switch to lower nicotine strengths are also relatively more common among dual users.

Daily vapers (53%) are also more apt than non-daily vapers (41%) to say they are trying to switch from higher to lower nicotine strengths. These findings do not differ significantly by vaping frequency (i.e., vaped over or under 15 days in past month).

Vaping statements

Regular vapers generally agree that vaping products, both with and without nicotine, are less harmful than cigarettes and can be a useful cessation aid.

The majority of regular vapers believe vaping products with (75%) or without nicotine (70%) can help people stop smoking regular cigarettes, as well as that vaping products with (66%) or without nicotine (76%) are less harmful than smoking regular cigarettes. The majority (70%) also believe that vaping products without nicotine are less harmful than vaping products with nicotine; one in three (34%) say they agree with the opposite - that vaping products with nicotine are less harmful than vaping products without it.

Youth and young adult vapers, as well as daily vapers, are relatively more positive about the perceived benefits of non-nicotine vaping products (compared to nicotine vaping products and cigarettes). Daily vapers are also more likely to agree that nicotine vaping products can help with smoking cessation.

Dual users and former smokers are more likely than never smokers to believe that vaping products with nicotine can help with cessation. In turn, the perceived benefits of non-nicotine vaping products is higher among former and never smokers.

C. Pictures of vaping products

Thirteen percent of respondents provided usable pictures of their vaping devices and liquids to help understand the evolution of the vaping market.

Regular vapers were asked to take a picture of their vaping devices and liquids. More than one in ten (13%) provided a usable picture of their vaping products (another three percent provided a picture that was not usable).

Among those who did not provide a picture (84% of total sample), the main reason was that they were unable to upload a picture with the device they were currently using (72%), rather than not wanting to upload one (28%).

Health Canada reviewed the pictures and categorized them by: device brand, device generation, vaping liquid type, flavour and concentration.

Device brands. A minority (6%) of pictures provided did not include an image of a vaping device. Of the pictures that did include a device, branding was not identifiable in some (34%). Forty different brands of vaping device were visible in the pictures provided. Aspire (13%) and Smok (11%) were the most common brands.

Device generation. The generation of the vaping devices in the pictures regular vapers provided were determined using the following criteria:

• First generation - cigalike products. The products look like a cigarette in the shape and colour scheme. Note- Blu's cigalikes do not follow the same colour scheme.
• Second generation - pens. The shape is similar to cigalike products but has a wider base and narrower tip.
• Third generation - mods. The mods have two components – the tank and battery. They are larger in size than the previous two generations. The distinguishing feature is the large battery component at the bottom with a thinner tank on top. These vapes are modifiable by the user.
• Fourth generation - pod-system based. Sleeker and smaller design that looks more high-tech. These come in a variety of shapes, but they look considerably different than previous generations and the pods are removable.

Most vaping devices were either mods characteristic of third generation devices (44%) or second-generation pens (37%). Few were first generation devices (2%) or high tech/high nicotine systems characteristic of the latest generation of vaping devices (15%).

Vaping liquid type. Over a quarter (28%) of pictures provided did not include a usable image of a vaping liquid. Two thirds of the pictures (65%) were of a bottle and very few (7%) were of pods. Few (8%) of the images were of liquids that contain nicotine salts. Fruit was the most common visible flavour of vaping liquid.

The concentration of nicotine in the vaping liquids varied. The most common concentrations visible were 3mg/ ml (10%) and 6mg/ ml (9%). Few were for concentration above 18 mg/ml (3%).

D. Information/advertising

Types of information sought out

Information about the health effects of vaping versus smoking, using vaping to quit smoking and the health consequences of vaping is equally popular, each having been sought out by about half of regular vapers.

Regular vapers were asked whether they had sought out information about vaping. Over half have looked for information about the health effects of vaping versus smoking (54%), using vaping products to quit smoking (53%), and the health consequences of vaping (51%). It is less common to have sought out information about the risks of nicotine poisoning from using vape liquids (37%). One in four (28%) have not looked for any of this information; three in ten (30%) have looked for one or two different types of information, while four in ten (42%) have looked for three or four.

Youth and young adult vapers are more likely than adult vapers to have looked for information on the health consequences of vaping and the risks of nicotine poisoning. All four types of information are more sought out by daily vapers than non-daily vapers; information about using vaping products to quit smoking is particularly popular among dual users (57%) and former smokers (56%).

Vaping health/product information

The majority of regular vapers do not often read health and product information on vaping products.

Regular vapers were asked how often they read health and product information on vaping products. Four in ten always or often read at least one of the following: vaping liquid or cartridge packaging (31%), vaping device itself (28%), or the packaging of a vaping device (28%). There is large degree of overlap, indicating that people who read this type of health and product information in one place also tend to do so in other places. A majority (60%) do not read any of this information either always or often. These findings do not vary significantly by subgroups.

Recent recall of ads/promo material about vaping

Close to three in ten regular vapers recall seeing or hearing ads/promotions about vaping in the past 30 days. Recall is higher among youth and young adult vapers.

About a quarter (28%) of regular vapers recall seeing ads or promotional materials about vaping in the past 30 days. Advertising recall is higher among youth (32%) and young adult (37%) vapers than among those aged 25 and older (24%), and among daily vapers (32% vs. 25% non-daily vapers). Across the country, ad recall is lower in Quebec (20%) than in other regions.

Recall of advertising/promotional content

Overall, regular vapers are most likely to recall ads or promotions for vaping device brands. However, youth vapers are most likely to recall vaping lifestyle content, while young adult vapers are equally likely to recall online shopping links.

Regular vapers were asked about the content of the ads or promotions they recalled. They are most likely to recall information about particular brands of vaping device (43%), followed by information about vaping devices in general (35%), links to online shopping for vaping devices (35%) and vaping lifestyle content (28%).

Recall of brand information is higher among young adult and adult vapers. Recall of lifestyle promotion is higher among vapers under the age of 25 (40% of youth and 39% of young adults), as well as among those who are below the provincial legal age (42%).

It is notable that young adult vapers are the most likely to recall seeing links to online shopping (47%) and discount access codes (27%), consistent with the finding that they are more likely than other age groups to buy their devices and liquids online.

The types of advertising and promotion recalled is similar across regions, with two exceptions. Regular vapers in British Columbia are more likely than others to recall vaping lifestyle content (41%), while those in Quebec are more likely to recall ads about how to vape (24%).

Location of ads/promotional material about vaping

Social media is the top recalled source of vaping advertising and promotional material, particularly for youth and young adult vapers; the top recalled social media sources are Instagram and Facebook. Those who recall seeing social media content tend to believe it was paid content created by a company.

Regular vapers who recalled seeing vaping ads or promotions were asked where they had seen or heard them. The most commonly recalled location of advertising or promotional materials is social media (40%), followed by vape shops (31%) and websites (30%), although a wide range of other locations were also identified.

Across the country, regular vapers in BC are more likely than in other regions to recall ads in vape shops (43%), bars (13%) and taxis/public transit (12%). In addition, very few regular vapers in the Atlantic provinces recall seeing ads in convenience stores (6%) compared to other regions.

Social media is a much more widely recalled source of vaping advertising among youth vapers (50%) and vapers who are below the provincial legal age (54%), than among vapers of legal age (39%). Youth vapers are also more likely to recall vaping advertising on outdoor billboards (23%); otherwise, recall of other advertising locations does not vary significantly by age.

Social media. Among those who have seen vaping advertising in the past 30 days, the most commonly recalled social media sources are Instagram (24%) and Facebook (22%), followed by YouTube (17%), Snapchat (11%) and Twitter (8%).

Regular vapers who recall seeing social media content about vaping are most likely to say it was paid content created by a company (62%). Only about half as many say they saw content created by their friends or peers (35%) or by other people they follow (30%). There are no statistically significant differences by age, given the relatively low base sizes for each age group.

Intended targets of ads/promotional material about vaping

Most regular vapers consider the ads and promotions they recall to be intended for those who already vape (rather than for non-vapers) or for smokers who are trying to quit.

Among regular vapers who recalled recent vaping advertising, the majority consider the intended target to be people who already vape (75%) or people trying to quit smoking (68%). Fewer consider the intended target to be people who neither smoke nor vape (42%).

Perceptions of the intended target of the advertising vary most noticeably by smoking status. Belief that the intended target is vapers is higher among former and never smokers, while dual users are as likely to say the target is potential smoking quitters.

E. Cigarette use

Smoking Behaviour

Six in ten regular vapers also smoke cigarettes and thus are dual users.

Regular vapers were asked their current cigarette smoking frequency, and whether they had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life, to identify the three following segments:

• Dual users: daily or occasional smokers
• Former smokers: not currently smoking, but have smoked 100 cigarettes over lifetime
• Never smokers: not currently smoking and have not smoked 100 cigarettes over lifetime

The majority (60%) of regular vapers are dual users, while one-quarter (23%) are former smokers and a relatively small proportion (16%) have never smoked. There is also a small proportion who chose not to answer these questions, therefore their smoking status is unknown.

Dual usage is more common among adult (65%) and young adult (56%) vapers, although nearly half (45%) of youth vapers currently smoke cigarettes.

The likelihood to be a dual user does not vary by gender or region, but is higher among those with at least some postsecondary education (63%, vs. 56% with a high school diploma or less) and those with children in the household (68%, vs. 58% without).

Dual users and former smokers are more likely than never smokers to vape nicotine exclusively. Former smokers are most likely to consider themselves daily vapers (55%) and to vape 15 or more days per month (69%), while never smokers are least likely to.

Dual users

Dual users tend to be long-term smokers who started smoking before they started vaping. Dual users who smoked first say vaping has reduced their frequency of smoking; however, those who vaped first say that smoking has subsequently increased their frequency of vaping.

Length of time smoking. The length of time dual users have been smoking cigarettes varies. Almost half (45%) have been smoking for 10 years or more. One in ten (11%) say they have been smoking for less than a year, but this skews higher among youth dual users (24%).

Tried vaping or smoking first. Overall, the vast majority (85%) of dual users tried cigarettes before they tried vaping. While this pattern is true regardless of age, youth vapers are less likely to come from a smoking background; one in three (32%) say that vaping came before smoking (versus 19% of young adult and 10% of adult vapers).

Vaping or smoking as primary identity. Dual users most commonly describe themselves as both a smoker and a vaper (49%), but this is far from universal. The remainder are almost evenly split between the view that they are a vaper (25%) or a smoker (20%).

Whether dual users consider themselves vapers or smokers depends on age group. Whereas half (50%) of youth dual users describe themselves primarily as vapers, adult vapers more often describe themselves as both smokers and vapers (54%). Among young adult vapers, similar proportions consider themselves primarily as vapers (35%) versus both vapers and smokers (40%).

About half (49%) of dual users consider themselves both vapers and smokers regardless of vaping frequency (51% of daily vapers and 48% of non-daily vapers). However, daily vapers are next most likely to describe themselves as primarily a vaper (33%), while non-daily vapers are next most likely to say they are a smoker (25%).

Change in smoking since started vaping. Dual users who smoked first (85% of dual users) were asked how their frequency of smoking had changed since they started vaping. Over half (54%) report that they now smoke fewer days per week and six in ten (60%) smoke fewer cigarettes per day on the days they smoke as compared to before they began vaping. Half (50%) report they both smoke fewer days and fewer cigarettes per day; by comparison, four percent only smoke fewer days per week and ten percent have only reduced the number of cigarettes they smoke per day.

Change in vaping since started smoking. Dual users who began vaping first (13% of dual users) were asked how their frequency of vaping had changed since they started smoking. Over half report that they vape more days per week (57%) and more times per day on the days they vape (54%) as compared to before they began smoking.

Main Reasons for Vaping

Reasons for vaping correlate with smoking history, with current and former smokers most commonly using it for smoking cessation, while never smokers choose to vape because they like the flavours/smells or for social or emotional reasons.

Dual users, former smokers and never smokers were each asked the main reason why they vape. Their responses demonstrate the differing motivations for each segment.

Among former smokers, by far the most common reason for vaping is that it helped them quit smoking (63%). Compared to other segments, they are also more likely to say they vape to reduce the effects of smoking on their own health (50%) and that of others (26%), and because it's cheaper than smoking (37%).

Among dual users, the most common reasons for vaping are to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked (49%) or to quit altogether (45%).

Without the smoking cessation reasons for vaping, never smokers are more likely than others to cite the flavours and/or smell (55%), emotional reasons (e.g., 39% say it's fun/exciting), doing tricks (27%) or social reasons (e.g., 21% say it's a social activity with friends/family) as a reason for vaping.

The following paragraphs summarize the reasons given for vaping by age group:

• Among dual users, adult vapers are more likely than others to cite the desire to reduce the number of cigarettes (53%), while young adult and adult vapers are both more likely to cite the desire to quit outright (46% each). Youth and young adults who are dual users are relatively more likely to say they vape because of the flavours/smell (41% and 39%), for fun (23% and 19%), to reduce boredom (25% and 17%), or when they are in certain social settings (22% and 20%).
• Among former smokers, the number one reason for vaping among all age groups is to help them quit smoking.
• Among never smokers, the top reason for vaping among all age groups is the flavour/smell. Youth and young adults are more apt to give multiple reasons, including the excitement of vaping (48% and 42%), doing tricks (39% and 27%), and because their friends and family vape (35% and 23%).

Dual users and smoking cessation

Four in ten dual users who are trying to reduce or quit smoking have received advice on using vaping for that purpose. Although friends are the most common source of advice, their advice is typically found among the least helpful, particularly by comparison to the advice provided by dentists, support groups, vape shops and web forums. The majority of dual users trying to quit have no set plan for when they smoke and when they vape.

Advice on using vaping to quit smoking. Among dual users who say the main reason they vape is to quit or cut down on smoking cigarettes, four in ten (43%) say they have received advice on using vaping for this purpose. The most common sources of advice are friends and classmates (19%), followed by doctors (14%), co-workers (11%) and vape shops (11%).

Young adult vapers are most likely to have received advice about using vaping for smoking cessation (61%), followed by youth (51%); only a minority (39%) of those 25 years and older have received such advice.

Helpfulness of advice. Though friends/classmates are the most common source for advice on using vaping to reduce or quit smoking, fewer than four in ten (37%) regular vapers found their advice very helpful. Sources of advice that are rated the most helpful include dentists (69%), support groups (57%), vape shops (52%) and web forums (52%).

Planned approach for quitting smoking. The majority (58%) of dual users who say the main reason they vape is to quit or cut down on smoking cigarettes have no set plan in place for deciding when they smoke and when they vape. Only one in three (34%) followed a set plan that involves gradually tapering the number of cigarettes and replacing with a vape. The proportion who followed a set plan is higher among occasional smokers (39%) than daily smokers (30%), but still represents the minority in both cases.

Intentions to quit. Among dual users who are not currently trying to reduce or quit smoking, only 15 percent have made a commitment to quit within the next month. Another quarter (25%) are looking up to six months out, while four in ten (42%) plan to quit sometime beyond that. The remainder (18%) are not planning to quit.

Youth and young adults appear to have more concrete plans than their older counterparts, with around one in four of each age group (23% and 24%, respectively) who plan to quit smoking in the next month.

Use of smoking cessation aides and approaches

Vaping products with nicotine are the most widely used cessation aide among former smokers and dual vapers currently trying to quit; however, fewer dual users planning to quit smoking in the future envision using vaping to help them to quit.

Individuals at different points in the quitting process were asked about smoking cessation methods. A key finding is that vaping products with nicotine are the main cessation aide for dual users who are trying to quit (62%) and for former smokers (61%), but dual users planning to quit are much less likely to say they will use it for this purpose (38%). The nicotine patch and nicotine gum are also more popular cessation aides for former smokers and dual users planning to quit than for dual users currently trying to quit.

Importance of liquid flavours

Both former smokers and dual users currently trying to or planning to quit believe it is at least somewhat important to have a range of vaping flavours available to them.

Two-thirds (67%) of former smokers say having a range vaping flavours was either very or somewhat important when they were quitting smoking. A similar proportion (69%) of dual users, who either plan to or are currently reducing or quitting smoking, say the same.

Among both subgroups, the perceived importance of having access to a variety of vaping flavours is higher among those already using multiple vaping flavours throughout the day/week than among those who tend to stick to one flavour.

F. Social acceptance

Peer group smoking and vaping

There is considerable exposure to vaping and/or smoking through friends, but also through other peer groups such as co-workers, classmates and family members. Seven in ten or more youth vapers say they have friends or classmates who vape.

Regular vapers were asked about smoking and vaping among their peers and family members. The majority of regular vapers report that their friends vape (62%) and/or smoke cigarettes (58%). Substantial minorities also report having co-workers, classmates and family members who smoke or vape. Among family members and parents, smoking is more common than vaping.

Exposure to peer group vaping is a substantial influence for younger vapers. Majorities of youth and young adult vapers have friends who vape (80% and 71%, respectively); almost three-quarters (73%) of youth also report classmates who vape. While fewer regular vapers have parents who vape or smoke, this likelihood is notably higher among youth vapers (15% and 35%, respectively, versus 9% and 22% of adult vapers).

Social acceptance

Regular vapers believe vaping is more socially acceptable than smoking, and experience this in their own lives, with fewer hearing disapproval for their vaping than for their smoking.

Two-thirds (67%) of regular vapers agree that vaping is socially acceptable, compared to four in ten (40%) say the same about smoking cigarettes. There are mixed views about whether vaping is socially acceptable only when using it to quit smoking (44% agree vs. 47% disagree).

Following a similar pattern, one in three (33%) regular vapers say people close to them are upset at their vaping, while more than six in ten (63%) dual users say people close to them are upset at their smoking.

Agreement that vaping is socially acceptable is consistent across age groups; however, youth are relatively more likely to disagree that vaping is only socially acceptable to quit smoking (56%).

All three age groups are more likely to say people are upset with their smoking (if they are a dual user) than with their vaping. However, a larger proportion of youth (40%) than adult vapers (32%) report that people are upset with their vaping, while adult vapers are more apt to report that people are upset with their smoking (if they are dual users; 65% vs. 52% among youth).

Parent/guardian awareness of and discussions about vaping

Although the majority of youth and young adult vapers say their parents or guardians are aware of their vaping, fewer than half have spoken to them about it.

A majority of youth and young adult vapers (72%) say their parents are aware they vape, but considerably fewer (44%) say their parents have talked to them about vaping for any reason.

Young adult vapers are more likely to report their parents are aware of their vaping, while youth vapers are more apt to report that they have had a discussion with their parents about vaping.

G. Nicotine salts

Awareness of nicotine salts

One in four regular vapers are aware of nicotine salts and more than one in ten have used them. Both awareness and use are higher among youth and underage vapers, as well as among those who vape more frequently.

Overall, one-quarter (26%) of regular vapers have heard of nicotine salts and 14 percent have ever used them. Awareness and use nicotine salts is higher among youth and underage vapers; across the country, both measures are lowest in Quebec (20% and 9%, respectively).

Awareness and use of nicotine salts are also more widespread among those who vape 15 or more days per month.

H. Heated tobacco products

Awareness and use of heated tobacco products

Over three in ten regular vapers are aware of heated tobacco products and more than one in ten have used them. Awareness is higher among young adults and adult vapers.

Overall, more than three in ten (36%) regular vapers have heard of heated tobacco products and 15 percent have ever used them. Awareness is higher among young adult and adult vapers, but reported use is similar across age groups. Awareness is lowest in Quebec (24%), but reported use is largely similar across regions, except in British Columbia and territories where it is highest (43%).

Among the small group who use heated tobacco products (15% of total sample), some use them every day (16%), however they are more commonly used on weekends only (24%).

Appendix A: Methodology

The results of this research are based on an online survey conducted with Canadians aged 15 and older who are regular vapers – defined as those who vaped at least once a week for the past 30 days. The approach used allowed for an analysis of the population of regular vapers in Canada. A total of 2,027 surveys was conducted with this target audience between February 4 and 26, 2019.

Survey respondents were drawn from panels of individuals who have agreed to participate in online surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the demographic composition of regular vapers in Canada as per estimates from the Canadian Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS). Because the sample is based on those who initially self-selected for participation in the panel, no estimates of sampling error can be calculated, and the results cannot be described as statistically projectable to the target population.

Target population and sample design

The sample was designed to achieve completed surveys with 2,000 regular vapers. The 2015 CTADS (the 2017 results were not yet publicly available during the consultation phase) provided detailed estimates on the demographic make-up of regular vapers in Canada in terms of age, gender and region. While younger Canadians make up a small proportion of vaping product users by virtue of their small overall population, their relatively high incidence of vaping use means they are an important subgroup to understand. Thus, quotas were used to obtain a sample stratified by age group to ensure adequate sample sizes for analysis of younger age groups:

While no hard quotas were set on this characteristic, based on CTADS data, we expected to get a mix of cigarette smoking statuses as well:

To allow for the inclusion of youth under 18 years of age, the invitation was sent to panellists who were profiled as parents of children aged 15-17. They were then asked to provide consent for their child's participation before having their child complete the survey.

After the data was collected, weighting was used to ensure that each wave is representative of vapers in Canada, per the 2015 CTADS data. Since the same 2015 CTADS data was used to set the quotas as the weighting targets, the weights employed were minimal. The weighted data set matches the CTADS data very closely in terms of age, region and gender:

Questionnaire design

Environics worked with Health Canada to develop a questionnaire that ensured the research objectives were met and all questions were appropriately worded. Upon approval from Health Canada, the questionnaire was translated into French.

Health Canada developed a draft questionnaire which was revised and finalized based on recommendations from Environics. The questionnaire was designed to meet all of the research objectives set out for this project and adhere to Federal Government standards for public opinion research. The final questionnaire is included as Appendix B.

Prior to finalizing the survey for field, a pre-test (soft launch) was conducted in English (82 completed) and French (34 completed). The pre-test assessed the questionnaires in terms of question wording and sequencing, respondent sensitivity to specific questions and to the survey overall, and to determine the survey length; standard Government of Canada pre-testing questions were also asked. A couple of very minor changes were made but since they did not affect the integrity of the pre-test interviews, they were all kept as part of the final samples.

Fieldwork

The surveys were conducted by Environics using a secure, fully featured web-based survey environment. Environics' data analysts programmed the questionnaires then performed thorough testing to ensure accuracy in set-up and data collection. This validation ensured that the data entry process conformed to the surveys' basic logic. The data collection system handles sampling invitations, quotas and questionnaire completion (skip patterns, branching, and valid ranges).

All respondents were offered the opportunity to complete the surveys in their official language of choice. All research work was conducted in accordance with the Standards for the Conduct of Government of Canada Public Opinion Research – Online Surveys as well as applicable federal legislation (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA). All survey respondents were informed of the Health Canada's sponsorship of the research, that their participation was voluntary, and that information collected was protected under the authority of privacy legislation.

Survey respondents, who were drawn from panels of individuals who have agreed to participate in online surveys, were rewarded for taking part in the survey per the panel's incentive program. The reward was structured to reflect the length of survey and the nature of the sample.

Completion results

Survey respondents took 17 minutes on average to complete the survey.

The completion results are presented in the table below:

Appendix B: Research instruments

Environics Research

February 7, 2019

Health Canada
2018-19 Regular Vaper Panel Survey

FINAL Questionnaire
Online survey with 2,000 regular vapers 15+

LANDING PAGE

Please select your preferred language for completing the survey.

• 01 – English
• 02 – French

Background information

INVITATION FOR PARENTS AND LEGAL GUARDIANS OF 15-17 YEAR OLDS

As a parent of or legal guardian to a youth living in your household, we are requesting your permission for your 15, 16 or 17-year old teenager to participate in an important survey being conducted for Health Canada.

The purpose of the survey is to understand Canadians' experiences with and opinions about vaping. This feedback will be used by Health Canada to develop regulations related to vaping and to design public education materials.

The survey is being conducted by Environics, an independent research firm, and will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Since privacy is important while respondents answer this survey, we request that your child be able to complete the survey in a setting where his/her answers will not be seen by others. All answers will remain anonymous and confidential.

How does the online survey work?

• Your child is being asked to give their opinions about vaping.
• Your child's participation is completely voluntary.
• Your decision on whether or not to allow your child to participate will not affect any dealings you may have with the Government of Canada.

What about your child's personal information?

• The personal information your child will provide to Health Canada is governed in accordance with the Privacy Act and is being collected under the authority of section 4 of the Department of Health Act in accordance with the Treasury Board Directive on Privacy Practices. We only collect the information we need to conduct the research project.
• Purpose of collection: We require your child's personal information such as demographics (e.g., age, gender) to better understand the topic of the research. However, your child's responses are always combined with the responses of others for analysis and reporting; your child will never be identified.
• For more information: This personal information collection is described in the standard personal information bank Public Communications – PSU 914, in Info Source, available online at infosource.gc.ca.
• Your child's rights under the Privacy Act: In addition to protecting your child's personal information, the Privacy Act gives your child the right to request access to and correction of their personal information. For more information about these rights, or about our privacy practices, please contact Health Canada at hc.privacy-vie.privee.sc@hc-sc.gc.ca. Your child also has the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if they think their personal information has been handled improperly.
• Your child's personal information will be collected, used, retained and disclosed by Environics in accordance with the applicable provincial privacy legislation or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Please click here to review Environics' privacy policy.
• Your child's survey answers will remain anonymous and will not be attributed to him/her in any way.

What happens after the survey?

• The final report written by Environics will be available to the public from Library and Archives Canada (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/).

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Environics at sarah.roberton@environics.ca

If you agree to allow your child to participate in this survey, please provide the survey link to him/her.

Your child can also access the survey by copying the following URL into his/her browser:

Thank you for your support of this important research.

ALL RESPONDENTS

Thank you for agreeing to take part in this short 10-minute survey being conducted by Environics, a Canadian public opinion research firm, on behalf of Health Canada.

The purpose of the survey is to understand Canadians' experiences with and opinions about vaping. This feedback will be used by Health Canada to develop regulations related to vaping and to design public education materials.

15-17-YEAR-OLDS ONLY: Your parent or legal guardian has given permission for you to participate in this very important study. Your participation is voluntary, so it is up to you to decide whether you are willing to answer, but we hope you do! You can do the survey on your computer, laptop, tablet or phone. You can stop at any time if you feel uncomfortable or choose not to answer certain questions. Your answers will not be shown to your parent(s), legal guardian(s), teachers or anyone else, so please be as honest as you can.

How does the online survey work?

• You are being asked to give your opinions about vaping.
• Your participation is completely voluntary.
• Your decision whether or not to participate will not affect any dealings you may have with the Government of Canada.

What about your personal information?

• The personal information you provide to Health Canada is governed in accordance with the Privacy Act and is being collected under the authority of section 4 of the Department of Health Act in accordance with the Treasury Board Directive on Privacy Practices. We only collect the information we need to conduct the research project.
• Purpose of collection: We require your personal information such as demographics (e.g. age, gender) to better understand the topic of the research. However, your responses are always combined with the responses of others for analysis and reporting; you will never be identified.
• For more information: This personal information collection is described in the standard personal information bank Public Communications – PSU 914, in Info Source, available online at infosource.gc.ca.
• Your rights under the Privacy Act: In addition to protecting your personal information, the Privacy Act gives you the right to request access to and correction of your personal information. For more information about these rights, or about our privacy practices, please contact Health Canada at hc.privacy-vie.privee.sc@hc-sc.gc.ca. You also have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you think your personal information has been handled improperly.
• Your personal information will be collected, used, retained and disclosed by Environics in accordance with the applicable provincial privacy legislation or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Please click here to review Environics' privacy policy.
• Your survey answers will remain anonymous and will not be attributed to you in any way.

What happens after the survey?

• The final report written by Environics will be available to the public from Library and Archives Canada (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/).

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Environics at sarah.roberton@environics.ca.

[CONTINUE TO SCREENING]

Screening

Vaping products are a diverse group of products containing a heating element that produces an aerosol from a liquid that users can inhale via a mouthpiece and include a range of devices such as "cig-a-likes," vape tank systems, and vape mods.

1. Which of the following have you done in the past 30 days?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 - I have not vaped in the past 30 days [SINGLE PUNCH - TERMINATE]
• 02 – I have vaped liquids WITHOUT nicotine
• 03 – I have vaped liquids WITH nicotine
• 04 – I have vaped, but I'm not sure if my vape liquids contain nicotine or not
• 05 – I have vaped liquids containing cannabis/marijuana/THC [IF EXCLUSIVELY SELECTED, TERMINATE]

2. [ASK If Q1=02-04] Have you used a vaping product at least once a week for the past four weeks?

• 01 - Yes
• 02 - No TERMINATE
• 99 - Not Sure TERMINATE

3. In what year were you born?

RANGE: 1930 ONWARD - SCREEN OUT IF 2004-2019 (14 OR YOUNGER): Thank you for your interest in this survey but we are looking to speak to individuals who are 15 years of age or older.

Year (drop down list)

4. In which province or territory do you live?

Drop down list

• 01 - Alberta
• 02 - British Columbia
• 03 - Manitoba
• 04 - New Brunswick
• 05 - Newfoundland and Labrador
• 06 – Northwest Territories
• 07 - Nova Scotia
• 08 – Nunavut
• 09 - Ontario
• 10 - Prince Edward Island
• 11 - Quebec
• 12 - Saskatchewan
• 13 – Yukon

5. How do you identify your gender? (This may be different from the information noted on your birth certificate or other official documents)

• 01 – Woman / girl
• 02 – Man / boy
• 03 – Or please specify:

Vaping use

NOTE: The remainder of the questions in this survey refer only to vape liquids with/without nicotine and not cannabis/marijuana/THC.

In the past 30 days, on how many days did you vape?

____ [RANGE 1 – 30]

6. [IF Q1=03] Which of the following best describes how often you vaped liquids WITH NICOTINE in the past 30 days?

• 01 – I vaped them every day
• 02 – I vaped them at least once a week, but not daily
• 06 – I vaped them less than weekly, but at least once in the past 30 days

SHOW IF SELECT CODE 2: How often did you vape liquids WITH NICOTINE?

• 03 – A couple times a week
• 04 – Weekends only
• 05 – Other (SPECIFY)

7. [IF Q1=02] Which of the following best describes how often you vaped liquids WITHOUT NICOTINE in the past 30 days?

• 01 – I vaped them every day
• 02 – I vaped them at least once a week, but not daily
• 06 – I vaped them less than weekly, but at least once in the past 30 days

SHOW IF SELECT CODE 2: How often did you vape liquids WITHOUT NICOTINE?

• 03 – A couple times a week
• 04 – Weekends only
• 05 – Other (SPECIFY)

8. [IF Q1=04] Which of the following best describes how often you vaped liquids you weren't sure contained nicotine or not in the past 30 days?

• 01 – I use them every day
• 02 – I use them at least once a week, but not daily
• 06 – I vaped them less than weekly, but at least once in the past 30 days

SHOW IF SELECT CODE 2: How often did you vape liquids you weren't sure contained nicotine or not?

• 03 – A couple times a week
• 04 – Weekends only
• 05 – Other (SPECIFY)

DAILY USER: ANY CODE 1 AT Q6-8

NON-DAILY USER: NOT [DAILY USER]

USED NICOTINE ONLY PAST 30 DAYS: Q1=03 ONLY

USED NON-NICOTINE ONLY PAST 30 DAYS: Q1=02 ONLY

USED BOTH PAST 30 DAYS: Q1=02 AND 03

9. Please take and upload one photo of both your vaping device AND current vape liquid (i.e., in the same shot/picture).

• Place the device and container of liquid on a flat surface and ensure they are the only items in the photo.
• If possible, make sure the branding on the device and the front label of the vape liquid is visible in the photo and ensure that no identifying information like family pictures or reflections appear in the image.

By uploading a photo of your vaping device and vape liquid, you are contributing to important research and your effort is highly appreciated by Health Canada.

Click here to upload the file.

• 01 – UPLOAD FILE
• 02 - I'm unable or don't want to upload an image

[If Q9=02] What is the reason you did not upload a photo?

• 02 – I am unable to upload a photo with the device I'm currently using
• 03 – I do not want to upload a photo

10. How long have you been vaping?

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, PLEASE ENTER NUMBER OF MONTHS ___________________ [RANGE 1-11]

or

IF ONE YEAR OR MORE, PLEASE ENTER NUMBER OF YEARS ___________________ [RANGE 1-20] NOTE: ALLOW FOR ONE DECIMAL PLACE

• 999 – Not sure

11. Are you using the same vaping device brand/model that you started with, or are you now using a different brand/model?

• 01 – Same brand/model
• 02 – Different brand/model(s)
• 03 – I use more than one device, one of which is the same brand/model I started vaping with
• 99 – Not sure

12. Thinking of the vaping device you use most often, which of its features do you like?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 - The size
• 02 - The colour
• 03 - It is easy to use
• 04 - The flavours
• 05 - The tricks I can do with it
• 06 - Does not make noticeable vape clouds
• 97 – Other [SPECIFY] [ANCHOR]
• 99 – Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

13. What brands of vaping products have you heard of? Please list up to five (5). If you cannot recall any click continue to go to the next question.

OPEN-ENDED; FIVE SMALL TEXT BOXES; DO NOT FORCE RESPONSE

FOR POST-CODING ONLY

• 01 - Aspire
• 02 - Eleaf
• 03 - Innokin
• 04 - Joyetech
• 05 - Juul
• 06 - Jwell
• 07 - Kanger
• 08 - Smok
• 09 - Vaporesso
• 10 - Vype
• 11- Wismec

14. Where do you tend to vape?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

RANDOMIZE LIST – KEEP TOGETHER 01-02, 04-05, 06-07, 08-09, 11-12

• 01 - At home, outdoors
• 02 - At home, indoors
• 03 - While driving
• 04 - At school, outdoors
• 05 - At school, indoors
• 06 - At work, outdoors
• 07– At work, indoors
• 08 - At parties, outdoors
• 09 - At parties, indoors
• 10 - While walking places/on the sidewalk
• 11 - Recreational areas, indoors (e.g. bars, pool halls, movie theatres)
• 12 - Recreational areas, outdoors (e.g. parks, festivals, concerts)
• 97 – Other [SPECIFY] [ANCHOR]
• 99 – Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

15. What is your preferred flavour to vape?

SELECT ONE ONLY

RANDOMIZE LIST

• 01 - Fruit
• 02 - Candy/confectionary
• 03 - Candy floss
• 04 - Coffee/tea
• 05 - Dessert
• 06 - Mint/menthol
• 07 - Energy drinks
• 09 - Cereal
• 09 - Cookies
• 10 - Tobacco flavour
• 11 – Cannabis/marijuana flavour (simply a flavour, not THC)
• 12 – Alcohol flavour
• 13 – Soft drink flavour
• 14 – Flavourless/no flavour in descriptor
• 15 – Floral/herbal
• 97 – Other [SPECIFY] [ANCHOR]
• 99 – Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

16. Which of the following best describes your use of vaping liquid flavours?

• 01 – I tend to stick to one flavor
• 02 – I use multiple flavours throughout the day/week
• 99 - Not sure

17. [IF Q16=01] Since you started vaping, have you…?

• 01 - Stuck to the same vaping liquid flavor as when you started
• 02 - Switched vaping liquid flavour once or twice
• 03 - Switched vaping liquid flavour three or more times
• 99 - Not sure

18. [IF Q16=02 or Q17=02-03] What are the main reasons you switch vaping liquid flavours?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

RANDOMIZE LIST

• 01 - I like to experiment with the flavours
• 02 - Helps me gradually quit or reduce smoking cigarettes
• 03 - My flavour choice depends on the price
• 04 - I buy what is available to me
• 05 – It depends on my mood
• 97 – Other [SPECIFY] [ANCHOR]
• 99 – Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

19. From where do you usually get your vaping devices and liquids?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

20. How much do you spend in a typical month on vaping devices and liquids?

• On devices $_______ per month [RANGE $0-$700]
  • 999 - I don't know
• On vaping liquids $_______ per month [RANGE $0-$500]
  • 999 - I don't know

21. [ASK IF Q19A or Q19B=01-04] How often do you have to prove your age when buying your vaping products either online or at a shop?

• 01 – Always
• 02 – Often
• 03 – Sometimes
• 04 – Rarely
• 05 – Never
• 99 - Not sure

22. [ASK IF Q21=01-04 AND Q19A or Q19B=04] Thinking of the most recent time you were asked to prove your age when buying vaping products online, what kind of proof were you asked to provide?

• 01 – Show/scan your photo ID (e.g., driver's license)
02 – Click a button indicating you are 18 years or older
• 97 – Other (SPECIFY)
• 99 – Not sure

23. How often do you use vaping liquids that you have made yourself from scratch (i.e. DIY)? This refers to making your own liquids, not just flavour mixing.

• 01 – Always
• 02 – Often
• 03 – Sometimes
• 04 – Rarely
• 05 – Never
• 99 - Not sure

24. Where do you usually store your vaping device and vaping liquid at home when you are not using it?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. RANDOMIZE ORDER

25. Have you ever tried to…?

SHOW IN ORDER

VAPED EITHER NICOTINE OR NON-NICOTINE ONLY IN PAST 30 DAYS

26. [Q1=02 AND NOT 03] or [Q1=03 AND NOT 02]. Have you ever…?

SHOW IN ORDER

VAPED NICOTINE & NON-NICOTINE IN PAST 30 DAYS

27. [Q1=02 AND 03] You mentioned that you have vaped liquids with nicotine and without nicotine in the past 30 days. Are you…?

28. Do you plan to stop vaping….?

• 01 – Yes, in the next month
• 02 – Yes, in the next 6 months
• 03 – Yes, in the next year
• 04 – Yes, more than a year from now
• 05 – Yes, I plan to stop vaping but I don't know when
• 06 – No, I do not plan to stop vaping
• 99 – Not sure

29. Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

SHOW ONE AT A TIME (CAROUSEL) – RANDOMIZE ORDER

Information/Advertising

30. Have you ever looked for or sought out information about…?

RANDOMIZE ORDER

31. How often do you read the health and product information on….?

32. Have you seen or heard any advertising or promotional material about vaping in the past 30 days?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No SKIP TO CIGARETTE USE SECTION
• 99 – Not sure SKIP TO CIGARETTE USE SECTION

33. [Q32=01] What advertising or promotional material about vaping have you seen or heard in the past 30 days?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

RANDOMIZE – KEEP 01-02 TOGETHER

• 01 - Information about vaping devices in general
• 02 - Information about a particular brand of vaping device
• 03 - How to vape
• 04 - Links to online shopping for vaping devices
• 05 - Access codes for discounts on vaping devices
• 06 - Vaping competitions
• 07 - Vaping lifestyle (e.g., from Instagram influencers)
• 08 - Vaping expos/meet-ups/conventions
• 97 – Other [SPECIFY] [ANCHOR]
• 99 – Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

34. [Q32=01] Where did you see or hear this advertising or promotional material?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

RANDOMIZE – KEEP OPTIONS 11-14 TOGETHER IN THAT ORDER

• 01 - In the mail
• 02 - Website
• 03 - Social media (IF SELECTED: Please specify which social media:)
  • 04 – Facebook
  • 05 – Instagram
  • 06 – Snapchat
  • 07 – YouTube
  • 08 – Twitter
  • 98 – Other (please specify)
• 09 - Email
• 10 - Bar
• 11 - Vape shops (physical/not online)
• 12 - Convenience store
• 13 - Pharmacy
• 14 - Other store that sells cigarettes
• 15 - At an event (concert or festival)
• 16 - TV/Radio/streaming music service (e.g. Spotify)
  
• 17 - Outdoor billboards/posters
• 18 - Newspapers/magazines
• 19 - On/inside taxis/public transit
• 20 - Recreational facilities (e.g. sports venues)
• 97 - Other (please specify) [ANCHOR]
• 99 - Not sure [ANCHOR AT BOTTOM, SINGLE PUNCH]

35. [IF Q34=03-08,98] To the best of your knowledge, who originally created the advertising or promotional material you saw on social media? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 – Paid content created by a company
• 02 – Content/posts created by friends/peers
• 03 – Content/posts created by other people you follow
• 99 – Not sure

36. [Q32=01] In your opinion, were the advertisements you saw or heard meant for…?

Cigarette use

ASK ALL

CTADS 2017

37. At the present time, do you smoke cigarettes every day, occasionally or not at all?

• 01 - Every day
• 02 - Occasionally
• 03 - Not at all
• 99 - Prefer not to say

CTADS 2017

38. Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your life?

• 01 - Yes
• 02 - No
• 99 - Prefer not to say

Dual User – Current Smoker (Daily or Occasional) [If Q37=01-02 + Q38 = 01]

Dual User - Experimental Smoker (Q37 = 01 - 02 + Q38=02 or 99)

Former Smoker [Q37=03 and Q38=01]

Never Smoker [Q37=03 and Q38=02]

Unknown [ELSE]

Dual users

DUAL USERS

39. How long have you been smoking cigarettes?

IF LESS THAN ONE YEAR, PLEASE ENTER NUMBER OF MONTHS ___________________ [RANGE 1-11]

or

IF ONE YEAR OR MORE, PLEASE ENTER NUMBER OF YEARS ___________________ [RANGE 1-99] NOTE: ALLOW FOR ONE DECIMAL PLACE

• 999 – Not sure

DUAL USERS

40. Which did you try first?

• 01 – Vaping
• 02 – Regular cigarettes
• 99 – Not sure

DUAL USERS

41. Which of the following best describes you?

• 01 - I am a vaper
• 02 - I am a smoker
• 03 - I am both a smoker and a vaper
• 04 - I am neither a smoker nor a vaper
• 99 – Not sure

DUAL USERS USED CIGARETTES FIRST

42. [Q40=02] Compared to before you started vaping, are you now smoking cigarettes…?

• 01 – More days per week
• 02 – About the same
• 03 – Fewer days per week

DUAL USERS USED CIGARETTES FIRST

43. [Q40=02] Compared to before you started vaping, are you now smoking …?

• 01 – More cigarettes per day, on the days that you smoke
• 02 – About the same
• 03 – Fewer cigarettes per day, on the days that you smoke

DUAL USERS VAPED FIRST

44. [Q40=01] Compared to before you started smoking, are you now vaping…?

• 01 – More days per week
• 02 – About the same
• 03 – Fewer days per week

DUAL USERS VAPED FIRST

45. [Q40=01] Compared to before you started smoking, are you now vaping…?

• 01 – More times per day, on the days that you vape
• 02 – About the same
• 03 – Fewer times per day, on the days that you vape

DUAL USERS

46. Which of the following best describes the main reason(s) you vape?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

LIST FOR: DUAL USERS

• 01 - I'm trying to quit smoking
• 02 - To reduce the number of cigarettes I smoke
• 03 - I vape where smoking is restricted/not allowed
• 04 - I vape in certain social settings where it is more socially acceptable than smoking
• 05 - It's less harmful to my health than smoking
• 06 - It's less harmful to others/family/children than smoking
• 07 - It's cheaper than smoking
• 08 - I like the flavours and/or smell
• 09 - It is fun and exciting
• 10 - I like doing tricks
• 11 - My friends/family vape
• 12 - I vape when it is offered to me
• 13 - It gives me a break from work/school/home
• 14 - It passes the time/boredom
• 15 - Habit/ritual
• 16 - As an alternate source of nicotine
• 17 - It's easier to buy/get than cigarettes
• 18 - It's easier to hide from my family than smoking
• 19 - As a social activity with friends or family
• 97 - Other (Specify)
• 99 - Not sure

DUAL USERS WHO ARE TRYING TO QUIT/CUT DOWN [Q46=01-02]

47. [Q46=01-02] Did you get advice from anyone on using vaping to quit or reduce smoking?

• 01 - Yes
• 02 – No SKIP TO Q.50
• 99 – Not sure SKIP TO Q.50

48. [Q47=01] From where did you get advice on using vaping to quit or reduce smoking?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 - Doctor
• 02 – Pharmacist
• 03 – Dentist
• 04 – Parent/guardian
• 05 – Sister/brother
• 06 – Friend/classmate
• 07 – Co-worker
• 08 – Support group
• 09 – Vape shop
• 10 – Web forum
• 97 – Other [Specify]
• 99 – Not sure SKIP TO Q.50

49. [FOR UP TO THREE RESPONSES AT Q48, ASK:] Would you say the advice you received from your [INSERT Q48 RESPONSE] on using vaping to quit or reduce smoking was…?

• 01 – Very helpful
• 02 – Somewhat helpful
• 03 – Not very helpful
• 04 – Not at all helpful
• 99 – Not sure

DUAL USERS TRYING TO QUIT/CUT DOWN

50. [Q46=01-02] Which of the following are you using, if any, specifically to quit or reduce smoking?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 – Vaping products WITH nicotine
• 02 – Vaping products WITHOUT nicotine
• 03 – Nicotine patch
• 04 – Nicotine gum or candy
• 05 – Medication (e.g. Zyban, Champix)
• 06 - Other nicotine replacement therapy products
• 07 - Counselling
• 08 - Acupuncture
• 09 - Hypnosis
• 10 --Self-help books
• 11 - Quit-line
• 97 - Other (SPECIFY)
• 98 – I am not using anything to quit/reduce smoking
• 99 - Not sure

DUAL USERS TRYING TO QUIT/CUT DOWN

51. [Q46=01-02] Which of the following best describes your approach to quitting smoking?

• 01 – I followed a set plan, where I gradually tapered off the number of cigarettes I smoked and replaced with/substituted in a vape
• 02 – I had no set plan in place for deciding when I smoked and when I vaped
• 03 – Other
• 99 – Not sure

DUAL USERS WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY TRYING TO QUIT [Q46>01]

52. [ASK IF Q46>01] Are you planning to quit smoking cigarettes…?

• 01 – Within the next month
• 02 – Within the next 6 months
• 03 – Sometime in the future beyond 6 months
• 04 – I am not planning to quit

DUAL USERS PLANNING TO QUIT

53. [Q52=01-03] Which of the following, if any, do you plan to use specifically to help you quit smoking cigarettes?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 – Vaping products WITH nicotine
• 02 – Vaping products WITHOUT nicotine
• 03 – Nicotine patch
• 04 – Nicotine gum or candy
• 05 – Medication (e.g. Zyban, Champix)
• 06 - Other nicotine replacement therapy products
• 07 - Counselling
• 08 - Acupuncture
• 09 - Hypnosis
• 10 --Self-help books
• 11 - Quit-line
• 97 - Other (SPECIFY)
• 98 – I will not use anything to quit/reduce smoking
• 99 - Not sure

DUAL USERS WHO ARE TRYING TO QUIT/REDUCE or PLANNING TO QUIT

54. [Q46=01-02 OR Q52=01-03] When you are trying to quit or reduce smoking, how important is it to have a range of vaping flavours available to you?

• 01 - Very important
• 02 - Somewhat important
• 03 - Not very important
• 04 - Not at all important
• 99 - Not sure

Former smokers

FORMER SMOKERS

55. Which of the following best describes the main reason you vape?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

LIST FOR: FORMER SMOKERS

• 21 - I used it to help me quit smoking
• 05 - It's less harmful to my health than smoking
• 06 - It's less harmful to others/family/children than smoking
• 07 - It's cheaper than smoking
• 08 - I like the flavours and/or smell
• 09 - It is fun and exciting
• 10 - I like doing tricks
• 11 - My friends/family vape
• 12 - I vape when it is offered to me
• 13 - It gives me a break from work/school/home
• 14 - It passes the time/boredom
• 16 - As an alternate source of nicotine
• 17 - It's easier to buy/get than cigarettes
• 18 - It's easier to hide from my family than smoking
• 19 - As a social activity with friends or family
• 97 - Other (SPECIFY)
• 99 - Not sure

FORMER SMOKERS

56. Which of the following did you use to help you quit smoking cigarettes?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 – Vaping products WITH nicotine
• 02 – Vaping products WITHOUT nicotine
• 03 – Nicotine patch
• 04 – Nicotine gum or candy
• 05 – Medication (e.g. Zyban, Champix)
• 06 - Other nicotine replacement therapy products
• 07 - Counselling
• 08 - Acupuncture
• 09 - Hypnosis
• 10 --Self-help books
• 11 - Quit-line
• 97 - Other (SPECIFY)
• 98 – I did not use anything to quit/reduce smoking
• 99 - Not sure

FORMER SMOKERS WHO USED VAPING TO QUIT

57. [Q56=01-02] When you were trying to quit smoking, how important was it to have a range of vaping flavours available to you?

• 01 - Very important
• 02 - Somewhat important
• 03 - Not very important
• 04 - Not at all important
• 99 - Not sure

Never smokers

NEVER SMOKERS

58. Which of the following best describes the main reason you vape?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

LIST FOR: NEVER SMOKERS

• 05 - It's less harmful to my health than smoking
• 06 - It's less harmful to others/family/children than smoking
• 07 - It's cheaper than smoking
• 08 - I like the flavours and/or smell
• 09 - It is fun and exciting
• 10 - I like doing tricks
• 11 - My friends/family vape
• 12 - I vape when it is offered to me
• 13 - It gives me a break from work/school/home
• 14 - It passes the time/boredom
• 15 - Habit/ritual
• 17 - It's easier to buy/get than cigarettes
• 18 - It's easier to hide from my family than smoking
• 19 - As a social activity with friends or family
• 20 - I like nicotine
• 97 - Other (SPECIFY)
• 99 - Not sure

Peer acceptance/stigmatisation

59. Do any of the following people in your life smoke cigarettes or use a vaping device?

[GRID FORMAT; RANDOMIZE ROW ITEMS]

[ROWS]

1. Friends
2. Classmates
3. Co-workers
4. Family members
5. Parents [IF <18 YEARS: or guardians]

[COLUMNS]

• 01 - Smoke cigarettes
• 02 - Vape
• 03 – Neither [EXCLUSIVE, SINGLE PUNCH]
• 04 – Not applicable [EXCLUSIVE, SINGLE PUNCH]
• 99 – Not sure [EXCLUSIVE, SINGLE PUNCH]

60. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Select one per row.

[GRID FORMAT; RANDOMIZE ROW ITEMS]

[ROWS]

1. Smoking regular cigarettes is socially acceptable.
2. Vaping is socially acceptable.
3. Vaping is only socially acceptable when using it to quit smoking
4. People close to me are upset at my vaping.
5. [DUAL USERS ONLY] People close to me are upset at my smoking.

[COLUMNS]

• 01 - Strongly disagree
• 02 - Somewhat disagree
• 03 - Somewhat agree
• 04 - Strongly agree
• 99 - Not sure

61. [ASK IF RESPONDENT IS 15- 24] Have your parents or guardians ever talked to you about vaping for any reason?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No

62. [ASK IF RESPONDENT IS 15- 24] Are your parents/guardian aware that you vape?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No

Nicotine Salts

ASK ALL

63. Nicotine salts are a form of nicotine used in some vaping liquids. They are typically used in closed pod vaping systems but are also available in refillable form (often referred to as "nic salt vape juice"). The concentration of nicotine in these liquids tends to be higher.

Have you ever heard of nicotine salts?

• 01 - Yes
• 02 - No
• 99 - Not sure

IF AWARE

64. [ASK IF Q63=01] Have you ever used nicotine salts?

• 01 - Yes
• 02 - No
• 99 - Not sure

Heated tobacco products

ASK ALL

65. Have you ever seen or heard about heated tobacco products (for example, iQOS®, Glo®, or Ploom)?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No SKIP TO DEMOGRAPHICS

IF AWARE

66. [Q65=01] Have you ever used a heated tobacco product?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No

IF USED

67. [Q66=01] Which of the following best describes how often you used a heated tobacco product in the past 30 days?

• 01 - I did not use a heated tobacco product in the past 30 days
• 02 - Every day
• 03 - On weekends only (Friday night, Saturday, Sunday)
• 04 - On weekdays only (Monday to Friday)
• 05 - On weekdays and weekends, but not every day
• 06 - I've only had one or two puffs
• 99 - Not sure

Respondent Characteristics

D1. What language do you speak most often at home?

• 01 - English
• 02 - French
• 03 - Other
• 99 - Prefer not to answer

D2. Do you identify as any of the following?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY

• 01 - An Indigenous person (First Nations, Inuit or Métis)
• 02 - A member of an ethno-cultural or a visible minority group
• 03 - A member of the LGBTQ2 community
• 04 - None of the above
• 99 - Prefer not to answer

D3. What is the highest level of formal education that you have completed?

• 01 - Some high school or less
• 02 - High School diploma or equivalent
• 03 - Registered Apprenticeship or other trades certificate or diploma 
• 04 - College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma 
• 05 - University certificate or diploma below bachelor's level 
• 06 - Bachelor's degree
• 07 - Post graduate degree above bachelor's level 
• 99 – Prefer not to say

D4. Which of the following categories best describes your current employment status?

SELECT ONE ONLY

• 01 - Working full-time, that is, 35 or more hours per week
• 02 - Working part-time, that is, less than 35 hours per week
• 03 - Self-employed
• 04 - Unemployed, but looking for work
• 05 - A student attending school full-time/part-time
• 06 - Retired
• 07 - Not in the workforce (full-time homemaker, unemployed and not looking for work)
• 97 - Other [DO NOT SPECIFY]
• 99 - Prefer not to say

D5. [IF D4=01-03] Which of the following best describes what sector of the economy you work in?

• 01 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
• 02 - Mining and oil and gas extraction
• 03 - Construction
• 04 - Manufacturing
• 05 - Wholesale Trade
• 06 - Retail Trade
• 07 - Transportation and warehousing
• 08 - Information and cultural industries
• 09 - Finance and Insurance
• 10 - Real estate and rental and leasing
• 11 - Professional, scientific and technical services
• 12 - Management of companies and enterprises
• 13 - Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
• 14 - Education services
• 15 - Utilities
• 16 - Health care and social assistance
• 17 - Arts, entertainment and recreation
• 18 - Accommodation and food services
• 19 - Public administration
• 20 - Other services [DO NOT SPECIFY]
• 99 - Not sure

D6. [ASK 16+ ONLY] Which of the following categories best describes your total household income? That is, the total income of all persons in your household combined, before taxes?

• 01 – Under $20,000
• 02 - $20,000 to just under $40,000
• 03 - $40,000 to just under $60,000
• 04 - $60,000 to just under $80,000
• 05 - $80,000 to just under $100,000
• 06 - $100,000 to just under $150,000
• 07 - $150,000 and above
• 99 – Not sure/Prefer not to say

D7. [ASK 18+ ONLY} Are there any children under 18 years of age living in your household?

• 01 – Yes
• 02 – No
• 99 - Prefer not to say

This completes the survey. On behalf of the Government of Canada, thank you for your participation.

(SURVEY END LINK DIRECTS TO ENVIRONICS WEB SITE)