Method:

A qualitative study with 28 adolescent smokers. Family relationships, rules, boundaries, hierarchy, and movements and reactions of parents and its relation to smoking were evaluated by semi structured interviews. A narrative analysis of the transcribed interviews was conducted.

Results:

The relationship between parents and teenagers were characterized by poor emotional connection, the existence of alliances and coalitions to keep secret smoking. The existence of family rule prohibiting smoking, and the coexistence of little clarity about the consequences for their violation, the presence of a father/mother/ brother smoking tobacco accomplice to keep secret and inefficient movements and reactions of parents against their smoking teens.

Conclusions:

The patterns familiar adolescent smokers included structural dysfunctions in vital areas of operation: low connection family relationships, alliances and coalitions to keep secret smoking, smoking and porous borders with ineffective monitoring movements to smoking. This configuration provides a high permittivity for installation of addiction.

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