[ExI] addiction

[Tara Maya]

Interesting! I wonder if we could edit out the gene that cause nicotine addiction if it would have the side benefit of making one less susceptible to cults! That would probably be a huge boon to civilization. I suspect cults of all sizes, some a billion adherents strong, have done more damage than smoking...


> On Mar 16, 2016, at 9:18 PM, Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> 
> 
> It's genetic.  Only a minority (5-10%?) of people can be addicted to
> opiates at all.  The genes involved are not yet understood, but it
> should not be hard to do given the big data bases like 23andMe.
> 
> Addition to nicotine is better understood.  I don't think anyone who
> has a double dose of the D5 version of the dopamine receptor gene who
> is addicted to nicotine has ever gotten off some form of nicotine.
> 
> There may be a cross susceptibility between nicotine and cult rewards.
> The scientologists are well known for their very high rate of smoking.
> 
>> 
> 
> Keith
> 
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