Better ways to prevent the consumption of vaping products, alcohol, cannabis and tobacco among young peopleDaily news

In Quebec, fewer and fewer young people are using psychoactive substances such as tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis. One exception is e-cigarettes, whose popularity has increased significantly over the past ten years.

Some regions of Quebec stand out with higher proportions of young people using e-cigarettes. These regions also have higher proportions of young people using alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco.

To better support young people and prevent their use of these psychoactive substances, it is essential to explore why these regional disparities exist.

What survey data says

In September 2023, a study by the INSPQ analyzed data from the Quebec Survey on the Health of Secondary School Students (2016-2017) to identify factors that could explain the observed differences between regions.

The results demonstrate that a high risk of dropping out of school, as well as a medical diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or an eating disorder among students, contribute in part to explaining the regional disparities in the use of e-cigarettes, tobacco products, or cannabis. Family status (blended, single-parent, shared custody, other), paid employment status during the school year, and low parental education or school engagement are also factors associated with some of the observed regional differences. Disparities in alcohol consumption could not be studied due to methodological limitations.

To read more: INSPQ