E-cigarette vaping credited by some for sharp drop in smoking despite officials frowning on practice

For years now, provincial governments, public-health officials and anti-smoking groups have lobbied hard against electronic cigarettes, arguing they risk fueling a disastrous come-back in tobacco use.

But the latest statistics show a sharp drop in the percentage of Canadians who smoke, and some experts argue the most plausible explanation lies in the popularity of e-cigarette “vaping” – despite constant official discouragement of it.

In fact, the Canadian trend mirrors what has been happening in the U.S., Britain and other countries where vaping has taken off, said IHPI member Ken Warner, a public-health professor at the University of Michigan and leading researcher in the field.

“It appears there has been a very big increase in quitting, and it appears to be recent,” said Warner about the “unprecedented” drop in American rates.