Smoking is one of the most serious risk factors of development of atherosclerosis and cancer. Although massive antismoking campaigns are underway, the smoking incidence in different populations is higher than 30 %. Smoking status is influenced by environmental factors (sales promotion campaigns of tobacco companies, smoking or non-smoking of parents and partners, social group), but results from data analysis of five large studies (included more than five thousands twin-pairs) suggest that there is also a significant genetic component of cigarette smoking and tobacco dependence. Smoking is a question of polygenic predisposition and polymorphisms of many genes - for example gene for coumarin 7 alfa hydroxylase, dopamine, dopamine transporters and receptors - could play a role in tobacco dependence. In this review we summarize our recent knowledge about genetic determination of s

        Key words: