P.E.I. sees big drop in number of smokers

Prince Edward Island saw the second biggest drop in the country in percentage of the population smoking, according to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada.

Rates of smokers aged 15 or older fell from 17.3 per cent in 2013 to 12.7 per cent. The 4.6 point drop was topped only by New Brunswick, where the rate fell by 5.4 percentage points.

Nationally the rate fell 1.6 percentage points to 13.0 per cent. P.E.I. was the only province in Atlantic Canada with a rate below the national average.

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