A new study by researches from several universities has found that a certain genetic makeup can make some people more predisposed to severe drug and alcohol addiction. This research backs up the findings of other studies where cocaine addiction resulted in lower gray matter density in frontal parts of the brain. This is an important part of the brain for paying attention and organizing behavior.

It also showed that it can result in damage to the hippocampus, an area of the brain that's important for learning and memory. The research suggests that genes influence the severity of addiction, and also the brain damage caused by the addiction. In individuals with a certain genotype, called "low MAOA", the longer that cocaine, alcohol and cigarettes were abused, the lower gray matter was found in the hippocampus and frontal regions of the brain.

Daniel Radcliffe, the actor playing the lead role in the movie Harry potter has made the press to question him about his struggle with alcohol addiction. In an interview with Today, Radcliffe honestly opened up about his struggle with alcohol addiction, and that he dealt with alcohol addiction after he turned 18.
Daniel confessed that he stopped drinking in August last year when he turned 21 but alcohol made his life fascinating which led him to alcohol addiction. Soon, he realized that it was something very destructive and had become his routine. So he took help from his friends and family to overcome it. He further added that it is a good thing that Harry Potter is not an alcohol addict as magic and alcohol addiction isn't a good combination.

Fire fighter, Jeff Mack, 43, has battled alcohol addiction and is a dedicated worker today. By telling from his own life experiences he is on a mission to promote awareness amongst firefighters, on the ills of alcohol addiction.
Speaking to firefighters, during his presentation, called, "Saving Our Own", on Monday, at the 97th conference, of the Fire Chiefs Association, being held at Fredericton Inn, in Fredericton, he shared with them about his own drinking bouts and how he recovered from alcohol addiction.
His mission, he said, was to prevent, another Jeff Mack from becoming a victim of alcohol addiction. By educating and informing his fellow fire fighters, about the causes and means of alcohol addiction, Mack was guiding them on how to treat the disorder, through timely recognition and rehabilitation.
Narrating his own experience, he says how a television show, and a show down with his family, made him realize that rehabilitation was the answer and he spent 4 months in counseling, before he recovered. A model employee indeed!