Canadian teens are totally tuned in to tea. In fact, 92 per cent of teens drink tea and believe tea of all types is a healthy beverage choice, more so than older Canadians.

These results, from a new ACNielsen survey of 2229 Canadians conducted in late February and early March 2000, were released today by the Tea Council of Canada.

“For several years we’ve known that teens were the greatest consumers of iced tea,” says O’Rourke. “Now we realize that teens have discovered the pleasure of sipping a variety of black and green teas and that tea is not only a fresh, hip beverage but healthy too. This trend can only bode well for the future of the tea industry in Canada.”

What types of tea are teens 12 to 17 drinking?
41 per cent drink regular black tea
24 per cent drink green tea
48 per cent drink herbal infusions
80 per cent drink iced tea

Top two reasons why teens vary their tea choice:
depends on how they feel or what mood they are in depends on what type of food they are eating

What makes a great tea experience?
Teens (12 to 17) are more interested in loose leaf teas than other age group.

Teens closely rank the cup and saucer and the mug in importance, but like tea served in a mug more than any other age group.

More than other age groups, teens want a wide selection of herbal infusions and specialty black teas when ordering tea in restaurants.

“This survey confirms what we’ve known all along – drinking tea is not just for grannies,” says O’Rourke. “Tea has universal appeal and there is a type of tea for everyone, whether you are male or female or young or old.”

(Tea Association of Canada)