If you smoke you run risk of passing the habit on to your kids – how to stop
IF you smoke you run the risk of passing the habit onto your kids.
Smoking addiction and the age you lose your virginity are in your genes, scientists say.
DNA passed down from someone’s parents shapes whether they have an addictive personality and the age they first have sex.
People who say they are risk-takers were more likely to smoke or to have sex younger – or both.
Two studies linked genes to the behaviours and said they were also “triggered” by the environment someone grew up in.
Emory University science student Victoria Risner, who did the smoking study, said: “Millions of genetic variants likely go into a complete picture for all of the hereditary risks for nicotine dependence.”
Around seven million people in the UK smoke and a third have had sex by the age of 16.
The US researchers said in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research that they could even make a test to work out someone’s risk of becoming addicted.
Professor Rohan Palmer added: "The more we learn, the closer we can get to one day having a genetic test that doctors can use to assess someone's risk.”
Oxford University’s Prof Melinda Mills, who did the study about sex, said: “Birth is a genetic lottery and your genes are hard-wired.
“You can be addictive but if you’re never in an environment with smoke you will never know if you have that personality.
“If you grow up in certain environments it’s sort of like a double whammy – they usually combine in adolescence.”
The five ways to give up smoking:
Here are five ways that will set you on the right path to stub out cigarettes for good...
Think of the money: The coronavirus pandemic has created a financial burden for many people and smoking is an expensive habit to have.
Calculate how much you spend on smoking each day, then work out what you spend a month and then what you spend on smoking in a year.
Think about what else you could spend that money on, a trip away or you could even put it towards your savings goals.
A pack of 20 cigarettes costs around £14 in the UK.
Try a replacement: The NHS says one way to help stop smoking is to introduce a nicotine replacement.
Guidance from the NHS states: "Cigarettes are addictive, and self-control alone might not be enough for you to stop entirely.
"Give yourself a better chance of success by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This is available on prescription from your GP, from your local stop smoking service or from a pharmacist.
"You could also consider trying e-cigarettes. While they're not risk-free, they are much safer than cigarettes and can help people stop smoking."
Get help: The key thing to remember here is that you don't have to go it alone when it comes to stubbing out cigarettes.
You can always ask your GP or pharmacist to help and they will be able to advise you on the best course of action to take.
Join a support group: The NHS says that speaking to others in the same position as you can help you quit.
The NHS says you're four times more likely to quit smoking if you have the help of your local support group.
Prepare mentally: Last year over 300,000 Brits quit smoking amid coronavirus fears.
If you want to quit you're not alone.
Smoking is a powerful addictive drug which is why it's hard to give it up.
Author of best-selling The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, the late Allen Carr, said: “There is absolutely nothing to give up… there is no genuine pleasure or crutch in smoking.
"It is just an illusion, like banging your head against a wall to make it pleasant when you stop.”
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The same genes also put people at risk of being overweight, suffering mental health problems or getting hooked on booze, the study found.
People are having their first flings younger than they were 50 years ago because a more laid-back society means there is less pressure to wait until marriage, she added.
This means genetics now play a bigger role. The study was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.