The number of Canadians who smoke continues to drop, the Canadian Tobac- co Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS) indicates. In 2001, 22% of Canadians aged 15 and over — 5.4 million people — were smokers, compared with 24% in 2000 and 31% in 1994.
CTUMS, conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Health Canada, found that the percentage of women smokers dropped from 23% to 20% between 2000 and 2001; the percentage of men who smoke remained constant at 24%.
Progress was also made among youth aged 15–19, with rates declining from 25% in 2000 to 22.5% in 2001. Adults aged 20 to 24 still have the highest smoking rate of any group, 32%, and this remained unchanged from 2000.
Respondents were also asked their opinion on smoking in bars and restaurants. Although most (77%) thought there should be severe restrictions in restaurants, only 55% favoured severe restrictions in bars. The survey also revealed that Canadians are smoking only 16 cigarettes a day today, compared with 21 in 1985. — CMAJ