It's In The Genes?

WASHINGTON (AP) - Researchers say they've found a genetic link
that makes people more likely to get hooked on tobacco -- and more
likely to get lung cancer.
The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the
strongest case so far for the biology behind the addiction. It also
may shed light on how genetics and cigarettes join forces to cause
cancer.
The research shows a smoker who inherits the genetic variation
from both parents has an 80 percent greater chance of getting lung
cancer than a smoker without the variants. That same smoker on
average lights up two extra cigarettes a day and has a much harder
time quitting than smokers who don't have these genetic
differences.
The author of one study describes the variation as a "double
whammy gene."
The three studies are funded by governments in the U.S. and
Europe. They're being published today in the journals Nature and
Nature Genetics.