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Genetic Influences on Smoking Behavior

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Behavior Genetic Approaches in Behavioral Medicine

Part of the book series: Perspectives on Individual Differences ((PIDF))

Abstract

In this chapter, we review evidence that suggests important genetic influences on smoking. These influences may affect the probability that an individual will become a smoker and, once he or she has started smoking, may affect how heavily the individual smokes and the probability that he or she will not quit smoking. We shall broadly summarize these measures under the heading “smoking behavior.” In contrast to the many twin and adoption studies designed to explore the possibility of a genetic contribution to alcoholism risk (see Heath, Slutske, & Madden [1995] and Chapter 2), there has been comparatively little research focused on understanding the genetic contribution to smoking behavior (for an early exception to this statement, see Eaves & Eysenck, 1980). This neglect is surprising, when one considers that the adverse health consequences of smoking, both to the smoker (USDHEW, 1979) and to others in the smoker’s environment (USDHHS, 1986), and the consequent enormous economic costs of smoking to society, are well established.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA

    Andrew C. Heath & Pamela A. F. Madden

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  1. Andrew C. Heath
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  2. Pamela A. F. Madden
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics and Georgia Prevention Institute, Medical College of Georgia, 30912, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    J. Rick Turner

  2. Department of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee, 38105, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

    J. Rick Turner

  3. Sequana Therapeutics, 11099 North Torrey Pines Road, Suite 160, 92037, La Jolla, California, USA

    Lon R. Cardon

  4. Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, 80309, Boulder, Colorado, USA

    John K. Hewitt

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Heath, A.C., Madden, P.A.F. (1995). Genetic Influences on Smoking Behavior. In: Turner, J.R., Cardon, L.R., Hewitt, J.K. (eds) Behavior Genetic Approaches in Behavioral Medicine. Perspectives on Individual Differences. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9377-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9377-2_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-9379-6

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