[ExI] addiction

[Anders Sandberg]

The problem is that we need the nicotinergic receptors for memory and 
attention. The dopamine receptor variants involved are also pretty 
important for personality.

Schizophrenic people also tend to smoke, often explained as 
self-medication.

On 2016-03-17 18:49, Tara Maya wrote:
> 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
>>
>> http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat
>
>
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-- 
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University