Tobacco

Adult Smoking

Key Messages
Overall
Over Time
By Gender
By Age Group
By Education and Income

Key Messages

One-in-ten (10%) adults (19+) in Ontario and one-in-seven (14%) adults in in Simcoe Muskoka identify as a daily smokers according to the 2019-2020 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS).
Smoking rates in Simcoe Muskoka are significantly higher than the provincial rates.
Smoking rates decreased provincially from the 2015/2016 surveys to the 2019/2020 surveys.
Levels of education and income play significant roles in smoking rates, with smoking levels dropping as education and income levels increase.

Overall

According to the 2019-2020 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 14% (13.2%, 14.6%) of Ontario adults (19+ years) identified themselves as current smokers and 10% (9.2%, 10.4%) as daily smokers.
The percentage of smokers in Simcoe Muskoka was higher than the province as a whole, with 19% (15.4%, 22.7%) of adults (19+ years) reporting they currently smoked including 14% (11.4%, 18.0%) who smoke daily.

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Over time

The proportion of Ontario adults identifying as current smokers significantly decreased from 18% (17.1%, 18.7%) in 2015/2016 to 14% (13.2%, 14.6%) in 2019/2020.
Current smoking rate in Simcoe Muskoka followed a similar pattern, although this trend was not significant.

Current Smoker Trend

By Gender

In 2015-2020, 25% (21.4%, 28.2%) of adult males (19+) in Simcoe Muskoka reported that they were current smokers and 18% (15.7%, 21.2%) said that they were daily smokers.
Among adult females in Simcoe Muskoka, 17% (13.8%, 19.7%) reported as current smokers including 13% (10.6%, 15.6%) that were daily smokers.
While current smoking rates are overall higher in Simcoe Muskoka compared to Ontario, a similar pattern was observed with higher current smoking rates among Ontario males.

Current Smokers By Gender

By Age Group

According to the CCHS, in 2015-2020, 23% (19.5%, 27.1%) of younger adults (19-44 years) in Simcoe Muskoka reported that they currently smoked.
This was not significantly different than the 24% (19.9%, 28.2%) of older adults (45–64 years) that reported as current smokers but was significantly higher than the 11% (8.4%, 13.5%) of seniors (65+) that reported as current smokers. Younger adults (19-44 years) in Simcoe Muskoka were significantly more likely to report never having been a smoker, at 59% (24.5%, 63.3%) in 2015-2020, compared to 46% (42.0%, 50.9%) in adults 45-64, and 42% (38.2%, 46.2%) in adults over 65 years.

Smoking Status by Age

Education & Income

Levels of education and income also plays a significant role in smoking rates, with smoking levels dropping as education and income levels increase.
In 2015-2020, Ontario adults (19+ years) with a university degree or higher education were significantly more likely to never have been smokers, with nearly three-quarters (74% (73.2%, 75.6%)) reporting that they had never smoked.
This is significantly higher than among those with less education, fewer than half (44% (42.5%, 45.1%)) of Ontario adults (19+ years) without a certificate, degree or diploma (highest level of education high school or less) had never smoked.
Nearly one-quarter (23% (21.4, 23.9%)) of Ontario adults (19+ years) living in the lowest income quintile were current smokers, which was approximately twice as high as the 12% (10.8%, 12.5%) that reported as current smokers among those living in the highest income quintile.

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Technical Notes

In the 2015/2016 CCHS, the definition of ‘former smoker’ changed with the removal of experimental smokers (those who have smoked at least one but fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) from this category and moving them to the ‘never smoker’ category. This change results in approximately 13% of survey respondents moving from the ‘former smoker’ to the ‘never smoker’ category.