Ottawa's Youth Are Caught in a Vaping Epidemic
Ottawa students walking between classes at Carleton University or uOttawa have become all too familiar with a now-common scene: someone ducking around a corner for a quick pull on a small vape device. Canada — and Ottawa is no exception — is facing a youth vaping crisis that researchers say is among the worst in the world.
A new piece co-authored by Salar Farokhi Boroujeni, Shavez Khan, and Rushil Dave published in Ottawa Life Magazine argues that Canada's teen daily vaping rates rival or surpass those of most other developed nations. That's not a statistic any Canadian city should be proud of.
What the Numbers Look Like
Canada consistently ranks near the top globally for youth vaping prevalence. While exact figures shift year to year, surveys have repeatedly found that a significant share of Canadian high school and post-secondary students vape daily — far outpacing countries with stricter regulations or more robust public health campaigns.
For Ottawa, a city with two major universities, several colleges, and a large high school population, the implications are significant. The convenience of small, discreet devices — often flavoured to appeal to younger users — has made vaping disturbingly accessible for teens and young adults across the capital.
The Health Stakes
Vaping isn't harmless. Health Canada and provincial health agencies have repeatedly warned that nicotine addiction during adolescence affects brain development, and that the long-term effects of inhaling vaping aerosols are still being studied. Youth who vape are also at higher risk of transitioning to cigarettes.
Local health advocates argue that Ottawa-area school boards and public health units need stronger tools — and more funding — to address the issue at the school level. Simply banning devices on school property hasn't been enough. Kids are resourceful, and the devices are small.
What Needs to Change
The authors of the Ottawa Life piece call for treating teen vaping with the same urgency as other public health crises. That means:
- Stricter enforcement of age verification at retail and online points of sale
- Flavour bans targeting products specifically marketed to youth
- Expanded cessation support for young people already addicted to nicotine
- Better-funded school-based prevention programs
Ottawa Public Health has taken steps to address vaping in recent years, but advocates say the pace of response hasn't matched the scale of the problem. With Canada already holding a grim spot on the global rankings, more aggressive action is overdue.
A Local Call to Action
For Ottawa parents, teachers, and youth workers, this isn't just a national statistic — it's playing out in local schools, parks, and campuses every day. Conversations about vaping need to happen earlier and more honestly, before nicotine addiction takes hold.
If you're a young person in Ottawa looking for help quitting vaping, Ottawa Public Health offers resources and referrals through their health information line.
Source: Ottawa Life Magazine — "Canada has some of the highest teen daily vaping rates in the world" by Salar Farokhi Boroujeni, Shavez Khan, and Rushil Dave.
