Genetics of Nicotine Addiction-Examining Ethics & Policy

This project will combine empirical investigation with ethical and policy analysis, employing a range of methods: systematic review of the scientific literature and of tobacco industry documents, interviews with stakeholders, ethnographic research at scientific meetings, and a multi-disciplinary, national Advisory Board. The project's empirical aims are to: 1) assess the state of scientific knowledge about the genetic basis of smoking behaviors and susceptibility to nicotine addiction, 2) anticipate and characterize clinical and preventive health applications based on this knowledge, and 3) examine the emergence of a genetic understanding of smoking among key stakeholders in tobacco control. Informed by our empirical work, and in consultation with the project's Advisory Board, the ethical and policy aims are to: 4) delineate and evaluate the foreseeable impact of genetic explanations on existing smoking control policies, such as public health strategies and treatment programs, and, 5) identify and analyze key ethical, legal, and social consequences of a genetic understanding of smoking behaviors. The goal of the project is to provide policy makers with a clear understanding of the potential impacts and limitations of genetic research, ensure that genetics will integrate harmoniously in measures to reduce tobacco use, and contribute to the public policy debate about the genetics of addiction, by providing a comprehensive analysis of nicotine addiction - an illustration of the ethical complexities inherent in behavioral genetics research. (Co-fund with NIDA)