Biological Approach to Explaining Relapse of Smoking

Question 1

What do the biological models of addiction emphasise?

Answer 1

The biological models of addiction emphasise the influence of genetic and neurochemical factors in onset, maintenance and relapse of addictive behaviour

Question 2

When does addiction to smoking occur?

Answer 2

Addiction to smoking occurs when an individual has developed an uncontrollable dependence on cigarettes such that they find it almost impossible to stop smoking

Question 3

Biological Approach to Smoking
Relapse

What does the Biological Approach believe about the relapse of smoking behaviour?

Answer 3

The Biological Approach believes that relapse in smoking behaviour is subject to genetic influences

Question 4

Biological Approach to Smoking
Relapse
Key Studies

Answer 4

Xian et al 2005

Uhl et al 2008

Question 5

Biological Approach to Smoking
Relapse

Xian et al 2005 supports this view…

Answer 5

Xian et al 2005 supports this view finding that 54% of the risk for quit failure could be attributed to heritability

Question 6

Biological Approach to Smoking
Relapse

This view is further supported by Uhl et al 2008..

Answer 6

This view is further supported by Uhl et al 2008 who identified specific genes that may affect quitting success and nicotine dependence

Question 7

Biological Approach to Smoking
Evaluation

Supporting evidence for genetic influence on smoking behaviour
Key Studies

Answer 7

Thorgeirsson et al 2008

Question 8

Biological Approach to Smoking
Evaluation

Supporting evidence for genetic influence on smoking behaviour

Answer 8

Supporting evidence for genetic influence on smoking behaviour comes from Thorgeirsson et al 2008 who identified a gene variant on chromosome 15 that influenced the number of cigarettes smoked per day, nicotine dependence and the risk of developing smoking-related diseases. Smokers who smoked less than 10 cigarettes a day were less likely to have this variant of the gene than those who smoke more than 10 a day.

This supports the idea that while genetics are only partially influential in terms of smoking initiation, they are very influential in terms of the maintenance and relapse of smoking behaviour

Question 9

Biological Approach to Smoking
Evaluation

Reductionist

Answer 9

A problem with the biological approach is that is is reductionist, it reduces a complex phenomenon, such as smoking, down to simple components i.e. the effects of nicotine or the influence of specific genes. While this has its advantages such as offering possibilities for treatment , it also has its limitations, the main one being that reducing human actions e.g. smoking to just the action of genes or chemicals, ignores all other potential influences e.g. irrational thought processes and social context

Question 10

Biological Approach to Smoking
Evaluation

Treatment possibilities
Key Studies

Answer 10

Gartner et al 2009

Lerman et al 2004

Question 11

Biological Approach to Smoking
Evaluation

Treatment possibilities

Answer 11

As stated earlier, the Biological Approach creates possibilities for treatment through pharmacologic methods and through a genome screening programme to prevent the behaviour altogether.

Evidence also suggests that the effectiveness of medication for smoking cessation may be moderated by a person’s genetic make-up. For example, smokers with the Asp40 variant of the mu-opioid gene were twice as likely to quit smoking with higher-dose nicotine replacement therapy that they were with lower-dose nicotine replacement therapy. Smokers with the more common Asn40 variant were equally likely to stop smoking regardless of the nicotine replacement therapy level. Consequently, genetic testing might allow therapists to choose the most appropriate smoking cessation therapy to maximise smoker’s likelihood of quitting successfully (Lerman et al 2004)

However, Gartner et al 2009 believed that screening for specific genes is unlikely due to there only being a small association between genes and smoking addiction