Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in
the United States [1], accounting for approximately 440,000
deaths each year [1,2]. Even though the prevalence of cigarette
use among American adolescents has declined in
recent years, the rate of decline is slowing appreciably [3].
Although most research on the etiology of smoking has
focused on initiation and experimentation [4], it is regular or
daily smoking that predicts increased health risk. The health
and economic costs associated with smoking can be reduced
by preventive interventions targeting factors that affect the
development of daily smoking. This article focuses on family
predictors of the initiation of daily smoking during
adolescence.