This section of HealthSTATS presents information related to tobacco use, exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco policy for Simcoe Muskoka. The data sources for this information include: Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) and Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS).
Highlights from this topic include:
Smoking
- Approximately half of current or former adult smokers smoked their first whole cigarette before the age of 16 and one-quarter of daily smokers began smoking daily before they were 16 years old.
- Nearly one-in-five Simcoe Muskoka adults identified themselves as current smokers in 2015/2016, similar to the provincial rate.
- Youth smoking in Ontario is at an all-time low with less than ten per cent reporting smoking in the past year. The vast majority of Simcoe Muskoka youth between the ages of 12 and 18 years have never smoked a whole cigarette in their life.
- There are now twice as many former smokers than current smokers in Simcoe Muskoka.
Secondhand Smoke
- More homes than ever in Simcoe Muskoka are completely free of secondhand smoke, with 9 in 10 households reporting that smoking is never allowed inside of the home.
- Fewer Ontario children are being exposed to secondhand smoke while riding in private vehicles (fewer than one in ten in 2013 compared to one in five in 2003).
- Children and youth are more than three times more likely to report secondhand smoke exposure in public places and at work or school than other adults.
Tobacco Control
- Less than one in ten tobacco retailers in Simcoe Muskoka sold cigarettes to under-aged youth during their most recent 'test shopping' compliance inspection. This is where under-aged shoppers attempt to buy cigarettes to test compliance with youth access restrictions while under the supervision of a tobacco enforcement officer.