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ARTICLES: Joseph R. DiFranza, Judith A. Savageau, Kenneth Fletcher, Lori Pbert, Jennifer O'Loughlin, Ann D. McNeill, Judith K. Ockene, Karen Friedman, Jennifer Hazelton, Connie Wood, Gretchen Dussault, and Robert J. Wellman Susceptibility to Nicotine Dependence: The Development and Assessment of Nicotine Dependence in Youth 2 Study Pediatrics 2007; 120: e974-e983 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Hypoism causes cigarette addiction, not cigarettes

Dan F Umanoff, M.D.   (1 October 2007)

Hypoism causes cigarette addiction, not cigarettes 1 October 2007
Dan F Umanoff, M.D., physician NAAAA Send letter to journal: Re: Hypoism causes cigarette addiction, not cigarettes umanoff{at}comcast.net Dan F Umanoff, M.D.	Dan Umanoff, M.D. National Association for the Advancement and Advocacy of Addicts, Inc. Original Study: "Susceptibility to Nicotine Dependence: The Development and Assessment of Nicotine Dependence in Youth 2 Study," PEDIATRICS Vol. 120 No. 4 October 2007, pp. e974-e983 An article about this study on http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=608677 states, "This provides further support for the idea that dependence begins with the first cigarette," said study lead author Dr. Joseph DiFranza, a professor in the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Mass. Except for one thing: Dependence occurred in only 38% of the kids who ever smoked. Thus, 62% of the kids who ever smoked did not become dependent, the vast majority. Therefore, the conclusion that smoking is causative of cigarette addiction, the hijacked brain hypothesis, is wrong, as it is wrong with every other addiction. In fact, this study doesn't provide any insight into what causes cigarette addiction, except for one thing, that cigarette smoking is not the cause. Addiction may well begin with the first cigarette, but it's not that cigarette that causes the addiction. There's clearly something different between the kids who smoke and don't get addicted and kids who do. They found two things that increased the chances of addiction once the kid smoked, feelings of relaxation and depressed mood. Those should have given the authors a clue as to why some got addicted and the other kids didn't. But apparently, the authors didn't look any further into this before making their conclusions. Why would those who got addicted feel relaxed after the first cigarette? Because they were deficient in whatever the drugs in cigarettes, nicotine and others, raise, in particular, dopamine, the brain's feel good neurotransmitter. Add this to the known highly genetic nature of cigarette addiction (heritability of 70% by Kendler in 1999), something that wasn't even mentioned or discussed in this study (Kendler's study wasn't in their bibliography), and we have a real reason for cigarette addiction: Kids with the right genetics who smoke will get addicted with the first cigarette. These kids have Hypoism (genetic dopamine deficiency) as discussed in my book and on my web site (http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/hypoismhypothesis/). Hypoism causes cigarette use to become cigarette addiction. Today's study just dances around that fact, and because of this does a disservice to all kids and their families. Until we begin to use the principles of Hypoism to prevent addictions, and treat them, we will fail to help kids avoid all addictions, not just cigarette addiction. "Love is an action not a feeling. Integrity is an action not a thought. Anything less is too little." --- Dan F. Umanoff, M.D. Author of Hypoic's Handbook - The Hypoism Paradigm of Addiction. http://www.hypoism.com President and founder of The National Association for the Advancement and Advocacy of Addicts, Inc. (N4A), a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization of addicts for addicts offering free educational and legal services to discriminated against and abused addicts of all varieties, "substances" and "behavioral," and their families. http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/thenationalassociationfortheadvancementandadvocacyofaddicts/ 8779 Misty Creek Dr. Sarasota, FL 34241 941-929-0893 Conflict of Interest: None declared