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National Population Health Survey Highlights

Smoking Behaviour of Canadians
Cycle 2, 1996/97 (January 1999, No. 1)

Smoking: Attitudes and Perceived Health Risk

Table of Contents
1.1 Description of the Survey and Reports
1.2 Overview of Results
1.3 Profile of Youth Aged 15-19
1.4 Profile of Young Adults Aged 20-24
1.5 Profile of the Provinces
1.6 Profile of Canadians who Smoke
1.7 Who is Starting to Smoke and Why?
1.8 Who is Quitting and Why?
1.9 Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
1.10 Smoking: Attitudes and Perceived Health Risk
1.11 Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Perceived Health Risk
 
Supplementary Tables 1996/97
Supplementary Tables 1994/95


What Canadians Believe about Smoking and Health Problems

The 1996/97 National Population Health Survey (NPHS) asked respondents whether they believed smoking cigarettes can cause health problems in smokers. Almost the entire population (95%), including 91% of smokers, shared this belief.

The NPHS asked those respondents who answered positively to the previous question whether they agreed that smoking cigarettes could cause specifically identified health problems in smokers. Nearly all those interviewed, smokers and non-smokers alike, believed that smoking cigarettes can cause lung cancer, heart problems, stroke and respiratory problems (bronchitis, emphysema, asthma) in smokers (Figure 1.10-1).


Figure 1.10-1

Some Concerns about Smoking

In 1996/97, about 81% of the male population and 75% of the female population agreed that children of smokers will smoke if their parents smoke. There were differences between smokers and non-smokers. Overall, fewer smokers than non-smokers agreed that children will smoke if their parents smoke (68% and 82% respectively). This difference, however, held only for older smokers and non-smokers. Among younger adults (those aged 15-19 and 20-24), there was little difference between smokers and non-smokers.

Among smokers, there were differences both between the sexes and among age groups over the age of 25. A higher proportion of male smokers than female smokers believed that children of smoking parents will smoke (Figure 1.10-2). Similar differences were observed between male and female non-smokers.


Figure 1.10-2

When asked whether most non-smokers dislike people smoking, most of the population agreed (83% of smokers and 89% of non-smokers). A slightly higher proportion of females (85% of smokers and 90% of non-smokers) than males (82% of smokers and 89% of non-smokers) shared this belief.

 

Terminology

  • Current smoker - was smoking at the time of the interview, and includes daily smokers and non-daily smokers (also known as occasional smokers). Smoking status was determined from the response to the question: "At the present time do you smoke cigarettes daily, occasionally or not at all?"
  • Former smoker - was not smoking at the time of the interview, however answered "YES" to the question: "Have you ever smoked cigarettes at all?" Former daily smokers and former occasional smokers were then determined by their response to the question: "Have you ever smoked cigarettes daily?". In Cycle 2, time since quitting was not collected.
  • Never smoker - was not smoking at the time of the interview and answered "NO" to the question: "Have you ever smoked cigarettes at all?"
  • Non-smokers - are former smokers and never smokers, combined.
  • Prevalence of smoking - the proportion of cigarette smokers in the specified population.
  • Amount smoked - the number of cigarettes smoked per day for daily smokers only.
  • Quitters - those individuals who classified themselves as either "daily" or "occasional" smokers in 1994/95, and then as "former smokers" in 1996/97.
  • Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) - also known as second-hand smoke. Exposure to ETS was determined from the response to the question: "Does anyone in this household smoke regularly inside the house?"



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Last Updated: 2003-01-17
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