Deprived Neighborhoods Had Higher Rates of Cannabis, Cigarette, and E-Cigarette Use in Canada
Neighborhood deprivation and gentrification predicted higher cannabis, cigarette, and e-cigarette use, while immigrant neighborhoods showed lower rates.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Material deprivation, social deprivation, and household insecurity were positively associated with all three substances. Gentrified neighborhoods also had higher use. High immigrant/visible minority neighborhoods had lower use.
Key Numbers
All three deprivation measures positively associated with cannabis, cigarette, and e-cigarette use. Gentrified: higher odds. High immigrant/minority: lower odds.
How They Did This
Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow's Health cohort. Neighborhood-level measures linked via postal codes. Regression models adjusted for individual factors.
Why This Research Matters
Most prevention targets individuals, but neighborhood characteristics independently predict use, supporting environmental interventions.
The Bigger Picture
Gentrification increasing substance use challenges assumptions that neighborhood improvement automatically improves health.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional. Self-reported. Postal code-level measures. Canadian context.
Questions This Raises
- ?What connects gentrification to substance use?
- ?Do immigrant neighborhoods provide protective structures?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Neighborhood deprivation and gentrification both predicted higher substance use
- Evidence Grade:
- Large population-based cohort with geospatial data, but cross-sectional.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study
- Original Title:
- Neighborhood level factors and use of cigarettes, cannabis and e-cigarettes: A population-based study among Canadian adults.
- Published In:
- PloS one, 20(11), e0320035 (2025)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06482
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does gentrification increase substance use?
Possible mechanisms include displacement stress, disrupted social networks, and changing norms.
Why do immigrant neighborhoods have lower use?
Cultural norms, stronger community ties, and the "healthy immigrant effect" may contribute.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06482APA
Fraser Wood, Truman; Dummer, Trevor J B; Peters, Cheryl E; Murphy, Rachel A. (2025). Neighborhood level factors and use of cigarettes, cannabis and e-cigarettes: A population-based study among Canadian adults.. PloS one, 20(11), e0320035. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320035
MLA
Fraser Wood, Truman, et al. "Neighborhood level factors and use of cigarettes, cannabis and e-cigarettes: A population-based study among Canadian adults.." PloS one, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320035
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Neighborhood level factors and use of cigarettes, cannabis a..." RTHC-06482. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fraser-2025-neighborhood-level-factors-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.