Of the 21 types of cancer examined, the following were associated with smoking among men in Montreal: lung (including all major histological subtypes), bladder (and its main histological subtypes), oesophagus, stomach and pancreas. Smoking likely accounts for a large proportion of cancers occurring at these sites.

No abstract

The authors characterized marijuana smoking among young adult Canadians, examined the co-morbidity of tobacco and marijuana use, and identified correlates associated with different marijuana use consumption patterns. Data were collected from 20,275 individuals as part of the 2004 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey. Logistic regression models were conducted to examine characteristics associated with marijuana use behaviors among young adults (aged 15-24). Rates of marijuana use were highest among current smokers and lowest among never smokers. Marijuana use was more prevalent among males, young adults living in rural areas, and increased with age. Young adults who were still in school were more likely to have tried marijuana, although among those who had tried, young adults outside of school were more like to be heavy users. Males and those who first tried marijuana at an earlier age also reported more frequent marijuana use. These findings illustrate remarkably high rates of marijuana use and high co-morbidity of tobacco use among young adult Canadians. These findings suggest that future research should consider whether the increasing popularity of marijuana use among young adults represents a threat to the continuing decline in tobacco use among this population.

We evaluated the benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) content in the smoke from 35 brands of Canadian cigarettes and 5 brands of Canadian tobaccos for roll-your-own cigarettes. For the cigarettes, mean values of BaP ranged from 3.36 ng to 28.39 ng per cigarette, roughly in proportion with declared tar values. The relationship between declared tar and yields of BaP, however, does not allow accurate prediction of one from the other. For the tobaccos, mean BaP values ranged from 22.92 ng to 26.27 ng (average, 24.7 ng) per cigarette. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to overall exposure.

Close to 90% of Canadian domestic cigarette tobacco is grown within a small geographic area in southern Ontario. The lead, cadmium, and mercury contents of this geographically homogeneous plant material was determined as a potential indicator of environmental change. During the 21-year period studied, the major decreases in concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury occurred during a 7-9-year period commencing about 1972.With respect to lead, this period of major change probably reflects progress in reducing levels in ambient air. Concentrations since 1979 have either stabilized (mercury) or decreased at a much slower rate (lead and cadmium) and may indicate that residual levels in the soil are now the primary determinants of uptake into tobacco plants in southern Ontario. From 1968 to 1988 levels of lead, cadmium, and mercury in mainstream smoke, which is inhaled by smokers, are estimated to have declined by about 62%, 39%, and 52%, respectively.