Associations of parents' education and smoking with young adults' smoking were examined in participants aged 18-30 years at baseline (1985-1986) in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Significant (p < 0.05) inverse age-adjusted associations of father's education with participant smoking status among black men, white men, and white women disappeared after adjustment for participant's education. Parental smoking status was directly related to participant smoking status for all race/sex groups. Participant education was strongly inversely related to participant smoking. Public health campaigns should consider influences of parental behaviors on children's behaviors and associations of limited education with adverse lifestyles.