Smoking, apparently, is in the genes. In a snub to those who blame peer pressure, rock stars and Formula One, an American study has proved for the first time that the habit of smoking regularly is largely inherited. The findings raise the possibility of genetically testing smokers to determine the best treatment for helping them to give up. In the first study of its kind, researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University analysed the habits of 778 pairs of twins, some of whom were brought up together and some separated in early childhood.
Individuals differ substantially in their vulnerability to smoking.
It's not the case that people smoke just because of social peer pressure,' said the author, Dr Kenneth Kendler. He says there isn't a single 'smoking gene', but many genes that cause some people to find giving up much harder than others. Some genes may make nicotine more addictive or pleasant. Others could give a predisposition to character traits, such as being stressed, that make smoking more likely. Genes may make it more pleasurable or more addictive, but they don't make you pick up a cigarette and light it.