exposure to nicotine is associated with increased numbers of nicotinic binding sites in the brain both pre- and post-natally(Hellstrom-Lindahl and Nordberg, 2002), which may predispose the brain to the subsequent addictive influence of nicotine consumed later in life. Similarly, prenatal exposure to alcohol in rodents has been found to increase offspring preference for alcohol in both infancy and adulthood, though the specific mechanism accounting for this relationship remains unclear (Abel et al., 1981, Bond and Di Giusto, 1976, Chotro and Molina, 1990).
