Tracking the smoking gene

Abstract

With a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in England around the corner, now might be the time to kick the habit. But with so many treatments to help you quit, it can be difficult to choose -hypnosis, patches, medications, willpower? Now, however, one of the first "lifestyle" genetic tests is available, claiming to help identify exactly what approach is best for your genetic make-up, and to tailor a quit strategy to fit. It's called NicoTest. It sounds a like godsend, but scientists are less than unanimous about its benefits. The test has raised new questions about whether our high hopes about genetic testing have started a bandwagon that is beginning to run out of control.