Smoking & Vaping
Did You Know?
Smoking commercial tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada.
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Smoking, Vaping & A Smoke-Free Generation
There is no safe age for commercial tobacco use
Smoking and vaping can harm the lungs, heart, and overall health. They can also lead to nicotine addiction, especially when use starts young.
Smoking and vaping increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, COPD, and worsens existing health conditions like asthma. Using both products together can increase these risks even more, and second-hand smoke and vapour can also harm the people around you.
NB Lung’s vision is a future where New Brunswickers are free from the burden of lung disease caused by smoking and vaping.
New Brunswick has made progress. But too many young people are still exposed to nicotine, tobacco, and vaping products. That is why NB Lung is calling on the Province of New Brunswick to create a Smoke-Free Generation.
What is a Smoke-Free Generation?
A Smoke-Free Generation policy would phase out the sale of commercial tobacco products by preventing sales to people born on or after a set date.
This does not take products away from people who can legally buy them now. Instead, it helps make sure the next generation is never targeted by, or sold, products that are known to cause addiction, disease, and death.
The average age that a Canadian tries their first cigarette is just 16 years old. The goal is simple: protect young New Brunswickers before addiction starts.
a Smoke-Free Generation Would:
- Prohibit Commercial Tobacco Sales to anyone born after a certain date
- Prevent young people from developing a life-long addiction
a Smoke-Free Generation Would NOT:
- Impact access to traditional or ceremonial tobacco
- Prohibit use for those who have existing legal access
- Remove access to harm reduction/nicotine replacement therapies
Why this matters in New Brunswick
The health impact is real. Each year, about 2,000 New Brunswickers die from preventable causes, with lung cancer and heart disease consistently ranking as the top two. Smoking is a major risk factor for both.
Youth smoking and vaping rates in New Brunswick are higher than the national average:
- 19.4% of New Brunswick students in grades 7–12 reported vaping in the past 30 days, compared with 15.5% across Canada.
- 5.9% reported smoking cigarettes, compared with 4.4% across Canada
Smoking also remains a serious issue across all ages. In 2022, 15.8% of New Brunswickers reported current smoking, compared with 10.9% across Canada.
Recent polling also shows that 60% of New Brunswickers support phasing out cigarettes to protect the next generation from harm.
wHY ACT NOW?
There is no safe age for commercial tobacco use
NB Lung is committed to advocating for stronger policies to protect New Brunswickers from the harms of smoking and vaping. To date, NB Lung has helped advocate for smoke-free protections in:
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- Smoke-free public places
- Enclosed public places & workplaces
- Public vehicles (eg.: taxis buses), and all vehicles where children are present
- School grounds
- Within 9 metres of public places entrances
- Provincial parks and walking trails
We have also been at taking action on vaping, through the provincial
vaping flavour ban (Eg.: Bubble gum, chocolate, cotton candy, mango, menthol all banned to reduce the appeal to children and youth; Tobacco flavour permitted)
These policies help protect people from second-hand smoke and vapour. They also help make smoking and vaping less visible and less normal for children and youth. Now it is time for the next step.
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Page Last Updated: 28/02/2023