Genetic Vulnerability for Smoking and Cannabis Use: Associations With E-Cigarette and Water Pipe Use

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a scientific study examining the relationship between genetic vulnerability to smoking and cannabis use and the use of e-cigarettes and water pipes. The study used polygenic risk scores (PRSs) to investigate the extent to which genetic vulnerability to cigarette smoking and cannabis use accounts for variability in e-cigarette and water pipe use. The study found that genetic liability for number of cigarettes per day (CPD) was significantly associated with lifetime e-cigarette use and with early water pipe initiation.

Key Points:

* The study used PRSs to investigate the relationship between genetic vulnerability to cigarette smoking and cannabis use and the use of e-cigarettes and water pipes.
* The study found that genetic liability for CPD was significantly associated with lifetime e-cigarette use and with early water pipe initiation.
* The association between the PRS for CPD with alternative smoking methods seems to hold only in ex-smokers for e-cigarettes and only in never smokers for early water pipe initiation.
* No significant associations were found between genetic vulnerability for smoking initiation or cannabis use with the use of e-cigarettes.
* The study had limited statistical power in some instances and used summary-level data from the TAG and ICC meta-analyses, which may not be the largest GWA meta-analyses for smoking and cannabis phenotypes in the future.
* The study did not find significant associations between genetic vulnerability for smoking initiation with any of the outcome variables.
* The study suggests that the observed associations could also reflect a more general personality trait, such as impulsivity, risk-taking behavior, or sensation-seeking.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that genetic vulnerability to smoking, specifically the number of cigarettes per day, is significantly associated with the use of e-cigarettes and water pipes. The study suggests that these associations may reflect a more general personality trait, such as impulsivity, risk-taking behavior, or sensation-seeking. However, the study also highlights the need for larger discovery sets, better phenotyping, and novel statistical methods to overcome current limitations. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the relationship between genetic vulnerability and the use of alternative smoking methods.

Allegrini, Andrea G, Karin J H Verweij, Abdel Abdellaoui, Jorien L Treur, Jouke-Jan Hottenga, Gonneke Willemsen, Dorret I Boomsma, International Cannabis Consortium, and Jacqueline M Vink. “Genetic Vulnerability for Smoking and Cannabis Use: Associations With E-Cigarette and Water Pipe Use.” Nicotine & Tobacco Research 21, no. 6 (May 21, 2019): 723–30. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/nty150.