Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, 12 to 19 years of age
According to the 2009/10 Canadian Community Health Survey, 15% of Canadians 12 to 19 years of age were exposed to second-hand smoke at home. British Columbia (8.1%) and Ontario (12.0%) reported the lowest rates of exposure to smoke at home.
Implications
Initiatives to reduce smoking at home are important for youth. As well as reducing their exposure to environmental toxins, reducing environmental tobacco smoke in a community has a potential impact on future adolescent smoking habits because it makes smoking less visible1.
1Health Canada (1999). Youth and Tobacco. Accessed on May, 28 2012, at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/tobac-tabac/youth-jeunes/youth-jeunes-eng.pdf