Results indicated that the adolescents possessed detailed knowledge about the health and social risks associated with smoking. Male participants in the younger group cited fewer risks than other participants, while older participants were more likely to site the serious health risks associated with smoking such as heart and lung disease. The older participants were also more likely to discuss addiction and were more likely to place their smoking behavior within the youth subculture. This type of self-reflective and contextual knowledge produces a contradiction with their smoking behavior that signals a readiness to change. The findings suggest the need for more specific information about smoking risks in elementary school curricula so that by the time students reach secondary school, their readiness to change will be high. Participants were 10 girls and 10 boys between the ages of 13 and 19 from elementary and secondary schools in Northern Canada who were recruited for the study by their teachers. Face-to-face interviews were conducted during the course of the school day; the interviews were semi-structured and focused on information about smoking risks, readiness and valence, and reasons for smoking. Transcript data were coded into themes and analyzed using both descriptive statistics and qualitative methods. Future research can inform secondary school interventions by assessing the different sources of culturally informed knowledge about smoking risks. Tables, references