Cannabis Education Campaigns in Northern Canada Had Modest Effects on Risk Perception
About 40% of residents in Canada's northern territories noticed cannabis education campaigns after legalization, and those who did had slightly higher perceptions of cannabis risk.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Noticing cannabis education campaigns was associated with a 9% increase in perceiving daily cannabis smoking and vaping as moderate-to-high risk. The effect did not differ by age group or cannabis use frequency. However, awareness was lower among people with lower education and income.
Key Numbers
40.4% of respondents noticed cannabis education campaigns. Adjusted risk ratio for perceiving daily cannabis smoking as risky: 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02-1.16). Same for daily vaping: 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02-1.16). No significant effect on edible or secondhand smoke risk perceptions.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 2,452 participants aged 16+ in Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Poisson regression with robust standard errors estimated associations between campaign awareness and risk perceptions, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and cannabis use frequency.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis legalization in Canada was accompanied by public health campaigns about risks. This study is one of the first to examine whether those campaigns actually reached people and shifted perceptions, particularly in remote northern communities.
The Bigger Picture
A 9% increase in risk perception is modest. The finding that campaigns reached fewer people with lower education and income raises equity concerns, as these groups may be more vulnerable to cannabis-related harms.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish whether campaigns caused the higher risk perceptions. People who notice campaigns may already be more health-conscious. The study was limited to Canada's three territories, which have unique demographics.
Questions This Raises
- ?What types of cannabis education campaigns are most effective?
- ?How can campaigns better reach populations with lower education and income?
- ?Do risk perception changes actually translate to behavior change?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 40% of northern Canadians noticed cannabis education campaigns
- Evidence Grade:
- Reasonably large sample with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study
- Original Title:
- Associations between noticing public health education campaigns about cannabis and risk perceptions in the northern Canadian territories: a cross-sectional study.
- Published In:
- Health education research, 39(6), 507-517 (2024)
- Authors:
- Schwartz, Naomi(2), Poon, Theresa(2), Hammond, David(36), Hobin, Erin
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05691
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do cannabis education campaigns actually change how people think about risk?
Slightly. In this study, people who noticed campaigns were about 9% more likely to perceive daily cannabis use as risky, but the effect was modest.
Who is least likely to see cannabis education campaigns?
People with lower education and income were less likely to notice campaigns, raising concerns about equity in public health messaging.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05691APA
Schwartz, Naomi; Poon, Theresa; Hammond, David; Hobin, Erin. (2024). Associations between noticing public health education campaigns about cannabis and risk perceptions in the northern Canadian territories: a cross-sectional study.. Health education research, 39(6), 507-517. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyae021
MLA
Schwartz, Naomi, et al. "Associations between noticing public health education campaigns about cannabis and risk perceptions in the northern Canadian territories: a cross-sectional study.." Health education research, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyae021
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Associations between noticing public health education campai..." RTHC-05691. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/schwartz-2024-associations-between-noticing-public
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.