Smoking room: cigarettes and the creation of community among girls who smoke
Date
1999
Authors
Tonn, Heidi Marie
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Abstract
Five adolescent girls who smoke were interviewed using a feminist/critical research methodology. It was found that smoking must be considered in the context of the growing up process for these adolescent girls. Smoking is central to their social lives. Because smoking facilitates the formation and ongoing life of the relationship communities they create, girls who smoke find it difficult to quit while they are part of such a group. The disintegration of a social group appears to offer a window of opportunity for smoking girls to quit. Connections were made between the activities of the tobacco industry and the everyday lives of girls who smoke. Implications for practice and further research were explored.