Tabagismo: a percepção dos fumantes em um grupo de educação em saúde Smoking: the perception of smokers on a health education group Tabaquismo: la percepción de los fumadores en un grupo de educación en la salud

This is a qualitative study which aimed to understanding the meaning of anti-smoking groups developed in a unit of Family Health Care in the city of Montes Claros, in Minas Gerais State. The action-research was used as a theoretical and methodological reference. The subjects were smokers who experienced group sessions on health education. The data collection tools were: the non-participant observation, the participant observation, and the semi-structured interviews. The collected data were submitted to the technique of discourse analysis with the identifi cation of two categories: the meaning of smoking and the meaning of anti-smoking support gr oups in the perception of the subjects who were part of the group. Smokers expressed ideas and feelings as well as the representation of the cigarette. This study showed the relevance of support groups during the process of quitting smoking, and the need of better professional training and service structure in order to face the problem. This study was also a way to promote the anti-smoking treatment in the public health system and its impact on the population who had this benefi t, being a parameter and encouragement for other scenarios.