Children who have one or more parents who smoke are more than twice as likely to start smoking between the ages of 12 and 21 then children who do not have this negative influence in their life. According to Karl Hill, director of the University of Washington's Seattle Social Development Project, elements that influenced whether or not adolescents began daily smoking were consistent family monitoring and rules, family bonding or a strong emotional attachment inside the family, and parents not involving children in their own smoking behavior.
There are many reasons for children wanting to smoke in their teenage years however and can we make a positive accusation that family is the sole cause for this behavior? We must rule out other hypothesis. I agree that family influence has an impact on the behavior of children and I believe the nature and nurture concept applies in both ways to the accusation. The lack of nurture parents impose without being aware of it sometimes may cause the child to act from what he sees from his role models (parents). Children learn through observational learning and may develop similar habits their parents have at a vulnerable age. Maybe they purposely act out to try and receive the attention he/she is craving. Addictive personalities may also run in the family causing the child to naturally want to begin and continue smoking. Maybe the child has confidence issues or social disabilities and cannot say no to pier pressure.
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