Alcoholism

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It may or may not be the case that some people have a genetic predisposition to engage in addictive behaviours.

Frankly, I don't see that this matters a great deal.

Whether or not someone becomes an addict is the result of their own choices. Whether or not an addict ceases to be an addict is also the result of their choices.

Not necessarily. Say your mother has been on heroine throughout her pregnancy with you. That is an addiction if I've ever seen one... are you going to tell me that's a choice for the small child?

This is true regardless of whether or not they had a genetic predisposition to addiction. If they have such a predisposition, then their substance use might get them addicted quicker. They might also find it more difficult to withdraw, and more easily slip into relapse. But none of this changes the fact that at every point they are making decisions, for which they alone are responsible.

There are many other methods of making someone an addict without them having a choice in the matter. Luckily, few of these are legal (though what's to stop lunatics like me from performing them...? )

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So people who are pre-disposed to run people over should be perfectly safe to drive cars because, after all, they make the choice to run someone over or not right?

Of course it matters. If there's an inbuilt motivator than the person has to avoid the problem. It's not the same for someone without the predisposition.

I'm with you here

Even though you were being sarcastic I say every case is different, and needs to be evaluated rationally, so even some people who are not "pre-disposed" to run people over should not be driving

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Preaching to the choir here. It is why I threw obesity in there, it's just another addiction. Same as my pot and nicotine addictions. I can't be a pot head if I didn't smoke pot.

I'd be amazed to find anyone addicted to obesity... rather I should think that it is the food and lack of exercise work (read: laziness) that many people are 'addicted' to