Elsevier

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 18, Issue 1, January–February 1993, Pages 19-34
Addictive Behaviors

Genetic models for the natural history of smoking: evidence for a genetic influence on smoking persistence

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(93)90005-TGet rights and content

Abstract

We reanalyze data from the 1981 mailed questionnaire survey of the Australian twin register, to test for a genetic effect on smoking persistence (whether or not a smoker quits smoking). In the young cohort, aged 18–30 years, there are too few ex-smokers to permit resolution of genetic and non-genetic models. In the older cohort, we find a significant and substantial genetic effect on smoking persistence, accounting for 53% of the variance. This genetic effect on smoking persistence is independent of genetic effects on smoking initiation.

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      In other words, approximately 50% of the variance of whether an individual is a smoker can be attributed to genetic factors. Genetic factors influence multiple aspects of tobacco use including initiation (Heath and Martin, 1993), persistence (Heath, 1990; Heath and Martin, 1993), number of cigarettes smoked (Carmelli et al., 1990) and the ability to stop smoking (Carmelli et al., 1992). Similarly, the behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine, the major psychoactive component in tobacco, are influenced by genetic factors in mice (for an excellent review see (Marks, 2013)).

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    Data collection was supported by grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Associated Brewers. Data analysis was supported by ADAMHA Grants DA05588, AA07535 and AA07728.

    We thank Dr. John Mathews, Dr. John Gibson, Dr. Rosemary Jardine, and Marilyn Olsen for assistance with data collection.

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