Among youth in grades 6-9, in 2008-09:

• 21.6% of students in grades 6-9 overall had ever tried a cigarette, ranging from 8.4% in grade 6 to 35.7% in grade 9.
• One third of never-smokers in grades 6-9 were classified as susceptible to smoking.
• 3.5% of students in grades 6-9 were current smokers overall, with grade-specific rates ranging from too low to report in grade 6 and 2.0% for grade 7, to 7.0% for grade 9 students..
• Smokers were fairly evenly split between daily (1.8%) and non-daily (1.7%) smoking.
• More males (4.0%) than females (3.0%) were current smokers.
• Prevalence varied by province, and was highest in Quebec, at 7.6%.
• Daily smokers in grades 7-9 smoked an average of 10.9 cigarettes per day.
• 12% of students in grades 6-9 had ever smoked a cigar or cigarillo.
• The majority (64%) of smokers in grades 6-9 usually obtained their cigarettes from social sources, including buying, taking, or being given cigarettes by friends, family or others.
• Nearly two-thirds of current smokers in grades 6-9 reported ever trying to quit smoking.

Among youth aged 15-19, in 2009:

• One in four (26.4%) youth reported ever having smoked a whole cigarette, ranging from 13.6% of 15-year-olds to 42.0% of 19-year-olds.
• 13.0% of youth aged 15-19 were current smokers overall, with age-specific rates ranging from 5.4% for 15-year-olds to 20.1% for 19-year-olds.
• More youth smoked daily (7.5%) than non-daily (5.5%).
• Prevalence was higher among males (14.9%) than females (10.9%).
• By province, prevalence ranged from 9% in Ontario to 18% in Saskatchewan and Quebec.
• 20% of youth aged 15-19 had ever smoked a cigar, and 31% had ever smoked a cigarillo.
• Males were more likely to have used these products: 29% of males (vs. 10% of females) had smoked a cigar, while 38% of males (vs. 24% of females) had smoked a cigarillo.
• Daily smokers aged 15-19 smoked an average of 11.4 cigarettes per day.
• Over half (58%) of smokers aged 15-18 usually obtained cigarettes from retail sources, while the remainder obtained them through social (27%) or other (15%) sources.
• 60% of smokers aged 15-19 were seriously considering quitting in the next 6 months.
• The majority (62%) of smokers aged 15-19 had made a quit attempt in the past 12 months.