You've Tried But Just Can't Stop Smoking

New research reveals that it may not have much to do with your will power. Instead it may have lots to  do with your genetic makeup.

Karren Pepper from New York, has tried to quit smoking.

"When I was younger my mother smoked," she said.

Now scientists say it may be all in her genes.

"My family had a history of smoking that would explain why it is so hard for me to quit," she said.

Three separate research teams, in the United States and Europe, have come up with the same conclusion. There is a genetic link to smoking addiction and higher rates of lung cancer.

Chris Amos conducted the study. He said, "It's kind of a double whammy. It affects your lung cancer risk and your nicotine dependence."

Researchers say that the "smoking gene" makes it easier to get hooked and much harder for people to quit, especially if both parents pass on the genetic link.  For those who have it, their cancer risk is higher.

Amos said, "The gene appears to be most important among those people who already increased their risk for lung cancer because they smoke and now they also have a genetic factor that further increases their risk."

More research is needed to fully understand the link between the gene and nicotine, but scientists hope the new information will lead to more tailored treatments to help folks break the habit.

It's too early to rush out and get tested for the genetic link.

Dr. Andrew Evans is an oncologist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. He said, "I think if you are a smoker and you see this study, your first reaction should be I need to quit smoking."

For now, the best way to lower your risk of lung cancer is to quit, bad genes an all.