Question

In a 2-3 page paper, discuss in detail five heredity and five environmental factors when answering the question below.

How do heredity and environmental factors make a person more susceptible to drug abuse?

Answer 1

Five Heridity factors are:

A) By studying genes it helps understand biological differences that may make someone more or less vulnerable to addiction. It may be harder for people with certain genes to quit once they start. Or they may experience more severe withdrawal symptoms if they try to quit. Some genes studied are:

1. OPRM 1 - The Opiod Receptor on Chromosome 1 might have genetic abnormalities to may be involved in suspectibility to drug or substance , alocohol abuse as well as senstivity to pain.

2. CHRNA- 3,5,4 - Genetic Abnormaltities on these are found when there is nicotine dependence

3. COMT - Genetic Abonormality on Catechol- O- methyltransferase is related to sensitivity to pain, Anxiety and druge abuse.

4. Alterations in the gene- The gene that codes A2A recopter on chromosome 22, if atlered, is linked to individual differences in consumption of caffine and its effects on sleep and anxiety.

B) Addiction can be passed down by parents to children in a way of genes. DNA sequence are compared of family members who are affected by addiction and who are not. The pieces of DNA shared by affected individuals are not found in unaffected individuals.

But heredity alone cant contribute to druge abuse. Environmental factors are also sigificant.

Environmental factors

1. Stressors in family, community and culture contributes to genetic vulnerability which may make the individual sensitive to develop drug abuse.

2. Family/ Home- The risk factors at home can be determined through parental practices. if the Parents neglect a child, they dont have a track of their child and may not know about drug abuse. Also, if a child has gone through a traumati event like sexual abuse they are prone to drug abuse by age 12.

3. Community - If a community has a favourable attitude towards this then they might learn it , as during adoloscenes they see people of their community smoking, drinking and they are impressionable as this age.

4. Peers - If you see your friend indulging in this, you may think it is a accepted practice and may indulge in it. Also, a teenager wants to be a part of a group and be accepted. If, the group demands it then it would try it and may do it execessively.

5. School - Shool is a second home for kids. But they go through a lot of stress due to exams and proving themselves in extra-circular acitivites too. When they cant perform in both the spheres they may shift to an easy way of releasing stress like taking drugs. This is a way of escpaing the stress and dealing with it in an unproductive way. They become so dependent on it that they cant leave it and indulge more. Thus acts like a vicious cycle.