Smoke and fire

[DesertFox]

The Economist
25 Nov 04

Addiction to nicotine may be in the genes

MARK TWAIN once observed that giving up smoking is easy. He knew, because he'd done it hundreds of times himself. Giving up for ever is a trifle more difficult, apparently, and it is well known that it is much more difficult for some people than for others. Why is this so?

Few doctors believe any longer that it is simply a question of will power. And for those people that continue to view addicts as merely “weak”, recent genetic research may force a rethink. A study conducted by Jacqueline Vink, of the Free University of Amsterdam, used a database called the Netherlands Twin Register to analyse the smoking habits of twins. Her results, published in the Pharmacogenomics Journal, suggest that an individual's degree of nicotine dependence, and even the number of cigarettes he smokes per day, are strongly genetically influenced.

The rest (http://www.economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3423177)

[ronin9]

bull.the reason i smoke,(like everybody else-i wanted to look cool.)is because i have no(0%)will power.it is impossible ,(or so i think)to quit.but the last thing i would blame it on is my genes.(i blame other things on my genes!):eek: :eek: :eek:

[DesertFox]

I smoke cuz I like to smoke. When I go lengthy periods without smoking I have no withdrawal symptoms. I don't get irritable, I don't shake, none of that. Dunno how it is with other folks.

[Wyatt_Junker]

I get the DT's when I'm coming down off a water and air binge. The shat's pretty rough on my delicate system.

[Bob_Arctor]

I smoke cuz I like to smoke. When I go lengthy periods without smoking I have no withdrawal symptoms. I don't get irritable, I don't shake, none of that. Dunno how it is with other folks.
You must be one of those lucky smokers who isn't truly addicted. I've known people like this, who could smoke or not smoke at will. They often called themselves "social smokers".

Cigarettes are incredibly addictive, but not every who smokes them gets addicted - I think the addiction rate is around 80%. This is higher than heroin, which is only at 60 to 70% as I recall.

[Timberwolf]

Quite honestly, I find my home-made cigarettes (have a "machine" that makes a filtered cigarette) that are made from additive free tobacco to be not very addictive at all. Marlboro's, Winston's, Camel's, etc are quite another story...the physical withdrawal from them 'bout drives me nuts.

[The_Fireman]

I smoked 2 packs a day for 27 years and quiting is a bitch.I'd smoke on a yard long sometimes if I had it.

[nene]

I used to smoke a pack a day. I never smoked in the house, or in front of the kids. I had to give it up because I could no longer provide an adequate explanation to my eldest son as to why I always stepped outside. I’ve not smoked for about 2 years. I enjoyed smoking, particularly when trying to debug some code. I still get the urge every now and then. I do miss the early morning smoke with a cup of coffee, watching the sunrise.