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Drugging & Clubbing Caused By Nature Not Nurture

Author: Jonty Skrufff(Skrufff.com)
Monday, June 23, 2003
Two new scientific studies published this week suggest that people who use illegal drugs and like staying up late could be genetically programmed to behave that way.

In the first study, published in Molecular Psychiatry magazine, scientists analysed data from more than 20,000 people and discovered strong correlations between drug use and certain genetic combinations, indicating that users might have significantly less freedom of choice than non-users.

"Our study suggests that there's a genetic basis to certain kinds of personality trait," said Dr Marcus Munafo from Oxford University.

"Which may be important in influencing whether people take up habits like smoking or whether they can subsequently give them up." (Daily Telegraph)

Scientists from the University of Surrey and St Thomas Hospital London, meanwhile, reported that they've discovered an additional correlation between 'clock genes' and people who naturally stay up late, suggesting all night clubbers mighty be similarly born rather than made.

"There are at least 10 of these clock genes," Dr Malcolm Schantz told the Guardian.

"Whether you are a night owl or a morning person is determined by the sum of the differences between them."

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