PWS Visser 2018-2019

smoking addiction Page 13
3.2 INTERVIEW WITH PROF. DR. VERWEIJ
Which substance do people with
the addiction gene most likely get
addicted to?
This is different for everyone, so it is
hard to say. In the Netherlands, it will
most likely be alcohol, since it is socially
acceptable. When it is socially
acceptable, some people might drink
more, which often leads to an alcohol
addiction. A big factor is how easily you
can get your hands on a substance.
Alcohol and cigarettes are legal (above
the age of 18) and thus easily
obtainable. But heroin for example, a
very addictive substance, is very hard
to get your hands on and thus not easily
obtainable. That is why there are less
people addicted to heroin than people
who are addicted to alcohol or
cigarettes.
Do people with for example ADHD
have a bigger chance of
developing an addiction when they
have the addiction gene? If so, do
these genes strengthen each
other?
ADHD influences addictions, because
people with ADHD are often more
impulsive, so they are more likely to use
a substance faster. They often show
risky behavior.
Is the addiction gene difficult to
do research on?
Yes, you need very big groups of people
to research, because the effect is so
small. A new study (which is not
published yet) has about one million test
subjects, who gave their DNA and filled
in a questionnaire. Nowadays,
researches can genotype their whole
DNA. So, researchers can compare
certain parts of the DNA and look at the
different variants. This can show how
the DNA of a smoker can differ from the
DNA from a nonsmoker. Technically, it is
not very difficult, but it is a very big
group to genotype, so it costs a lot of
time.
Does raising the price of
cigarettes help stop the addiction?
Yes, it works. Australia is a good
example; the price of a pack of
cigarettes is 20 euros. Compared to the
Netherlands, that's three times its price.
This high price resulted in less smokers
in Australia. Also, the Netherlands
changed the legal age of smoking from
16 to 18. These measures had an
influence on the smoking behavior of
adolescents and adults. The measures
especially help people who have not
smoked yet before, rather than people
who already smoke.