Impact of the Canadian Tobacco and Vaping Products Act on e-cigarette use and perceived risk in adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: Canada enacted the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA) in 2018, which prohibited the sale of e-cigarettes to individuals under 18. However, this law increased the distribution and sale of e-cigarettes to individuals over 18. Presently, there is limited evidence on the impact of the TVPA on adolescents’ use of e-cigarettes. The aim of this study is to assess adolescents’ prevalence and perception of e-cigarette use before and after enactment of the TVPA. Methods: The Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey for 2017 and the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey for 2015, 2017, and 2019 were obtained. Using RStudio, we conducted two-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test. We reported the goodness of fit of each model through its multiple R-squared values and conducted likelihood ratio tests. Results were presented as the mean with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We found that e-cigarette use was more prevalent in adolescents compared to adults prior to enactment of the TVPA. Interestingly, e-cigarette use in adolescents increased even after enactment of the TVPA, and this law did not impact adolescents’ perceived risk of e-cigarette and conventional cigarette use. Furthermore, e-cigarette use in adolescents was highest in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and lowest in Quebec and Ontario. Conclusion: Although the TVPA aimed to reduce e-cigarette use in adolescents, this study demonstrates that the TVPA generated the opposite effect. These findings highlight the need for improved public education and stricter e-cigarette sale regulations.