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.
Public health officials, cannabis policy researchers, and health communicators
40% of northern Canadians noticed cannabis education campaigns
What the researchers 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.
Why it 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 numbers in context
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 the study worked
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.
What this study cannot 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.
How to read the evidence
Reasonably large sample with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
When this study was published
2024 study
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.
Questions still open
- 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?
Common questions
Do cannabis education campaigns actually change how people think about risk?
Who is least likely to see cannabis education campaigns?
Read the original research
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
Citation
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