PWS Visser 2018-2019

smoking addiction Page 15
4. CONCLUSION
So, what is the effect of the addiction
gene on a smoking addiction? The
answer is not that simple. That is
because the addiction gene does not
really exist in a singular definition.
There is not one bad gene that causes
an addiction, there are thousands of
genes that play a little role when it
comes to becoming more sensitive to
developing an addiction. Because they
play such a tiny role, they all have little
effect on developing an addiction. All
these genes are hard to genotype and
that is why it is so hard to say if
someone has a bigger chance in
developing an addiction.
Not only our genes play a role when it
comes to addiction, our environment
plays a big role as well. By environment
we mean friends, family, school, sports
etc. Our environment is 60% influential
and our genes 40%. So even when you
have "bad" genes you do not have to
develop an addiction when living in a
"good" environment. It also applies the
other way around; when you do not
have the "bad" genes but live in an
environment where having an addiction
is very likely, you can also get an
addiction.
So, when it comes to a smoking
addiction, it really depends on what
kind of person you are. Cigarettes are
easily available for almost all ages,
even though it is illegal for people under
the age of eighteen, which is also a big
factor when it comes to addiction. You
can get your hands on cigarettes easier
than getting your hands on, for
example, heroin.
When looking at the bigger picture, not
much research has been done when it
comes to what the effect of genes is on
a smoking addiction. But it has been
proven that genes do have an impact on
a lot of actions.