The number of those who say vaping is harmful nearly doubled over the past year
By Jennifer Hughes
E-cigarettes are often promoted as a stop-smoking aid, but the results of new Angus Reid survey show that 62% of Canadians believe that vaping does more harm than good, while in a similar survey last year, only 35% agreed. Vaping-related deaths and illnesses were all over the headlines last year, with more than 50 Americans having died.
While the survey found that one in four Canadians has vaped, almost half (46%) would support a complete ban on vaping products. One in three people think that would be going too far. When it comes to flavoured vaping products—popular with teens—60% of respondents would support a complete ban.
The survey also looked at exposure among children and found that half of respondents are worried about the number of young people vaping in Canada. Many feel that children’s access to vaping products should be limited. Though the federal government has chosen not to enforce any regulations for flavoured vaping products at this time, the survey points to strong support for restrictions: 90% of respondents support a ban on advertising vaping products anywhere young people are likely to be exposed to the ads, and four in five (82%) believe stating that flavoured products should sold only in adult-only stores.
Boomers, in particular, are most likely to see vaping as harmful; among those who want to see vaping products banned entirely, most are boomers (61%); support for a ban falls to 46% among those between the ages of 35 and 54 and to 28% among those 18 to 34. Millennials are the group most likely to say they’ve vaped (41%, compared to 13% of boomers).
Photo: iStock/Bulat Silvia.
