Alcohol and smoking can be harmful, if not deadly. While the desire for these substances can be due to environmental cues, genomic factors also play an important role. The etiology of these desires is multifactorial and a result of complex interactions with the environment. Adoption and twin studies have shown that the use of these substances is likely to be inherited. Such studies have provided evidence that one’s sex can influence the genetic factors for alcohol and tobacco use. [continue reading…]
Research
The link between alcohol and aggression is well known. What’s not so clear is just why drunks get belligerent. What is it about the brain-on-alcohol that makes fighting seem like a good idea? And do all intoxicated people get more aggressive? Or does it depend on the circumstances? [continue reading…]
When did you first let your child play in the bath unsupervised, walk to school alone, go for a bike ride with his/her friend? In a new survey parents report a wide range of ages acceptable for unsupervised activity
The study in which nine hundred and forty households with children aged 1 to 14 partcipated, and which is published in the July, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine concluded that parent enagaging in risky behaviours, and allowing their children to do so, often were providing less supervision. [continue reading…]
