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Abuse In Childhood Linked To Later Smoking Behavior The family environment that children grow up in can have long-lasting effects on whether they smoke, according to a new study by University of Washington researchers who used data collected over a 35-year time span. Although growing up in poverty or a broken family had no effect on smoking, researchers Daphne Kuo and Jonathan Mayer learned that children who were raised in families where there was physical …

…has significant public health implications, according to Mayer. "This is the first longitudinal study to show that the family environment is important and has lasting effects. What happens early in life predisposes people to smoking, particularly growing up in a turbulent family environment. If we can prevent smoking early on, we may be able to have a tremendous effect." The UW researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America.