Johns Hopkins Health Review, 2016 (ADDICTION)
Whether your first cigarette is a one-off rite of passage or one of thousands you’ll smoke in your lifetime may depend on your genes.
By studying the earliest stages of nicotine dependence, researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have determined that “there are definitely some people who are nicotine avoiders and others who are nicotine choosers,” says addiction researcher Roland Griffiths.
Genetic and metabolic vulnerabilities likely lead some people to become nicotine choosers, a finding based on the behavior of nonsmoking volunteers in a recent small study. Over time, the volunteers were able to distinguish between two seemingly identical pills – one with nicotine, one without – and then say which one they preferred and why. Nicotine choosers cited improved concentration, alertness, stimulation, energy, and mood.
Nicotine avoiders chose the placebo because the other pill made them feel light headed, dizzy, or sick. Knowing that this predisposed preference exists may lead to new preventive measures and smoking-cessation options.
