All the scientific research claiming to have found specific genes that would cause addiction is nonsense. Bold statement, you think?

I have been addicted to alcohol for maybe thirty years. My father introduced me to it, he drank every night, so I guess I assumed it was normal - and of course it gave the nice tipsy feeling - the reason why people drink and keep drinking. His own father had a bad drink, had mistresses and what have you. My father's brother and his sister both killed themselves by drinking and smoking in large quantities, dying at the age of fifty-something.

My uncle was my hero, because I used to play football with him when I spend my holidays on Terschelling. He gave me my first real leather ball. So when my life derailed during my time at the university, I decided it would be cool to do what he did, drinking single malt whiskey in large quantities - at home of course, being disconnected from everyone already. The ‘romantic’ image of the misunderstood, lonely soul, so helpfully communicated by my friend the television, helping me along on the road to no future.

Having lost myself completely, this was my new identity: surviving the day, ‘working’ behind a computer, drinking in the evening - day in, day out. And in the weekends the last one to leave the pub, of course - had to be the best, also in destroying myself by drinking.

But: when rediscovering the football, I didn't drink at all during the summer - the football season, when I played everyday with guys in the park. And having discovered singing eight years ago, I didn't want the drink at all anymore, I wanted to learn songs by heart.

So, you could conclude (of course, this is only one case study, involving three generations, so hardly scientific) that addiction to alcohol is probably hereditary. However, my theory is that is has nothing to do at all with genes, but with poisonous environments you're stuck with. Although I haven't known my grandfather, because my father didn't want to know him anymore, I know he was the best friend of Abe Lenstra, who stayed at the hotels my grandparents had and with whom he played billiards. My grandfather was a champion three-cushion billiards, so a competitor. My father was good in any sport and also a competitor. Both of them couldn't live the life the would have wanted - my father escaping his poisonous environment by becoming a sailor, but actually wanting to be a farmer, loving animals and nature, my grandfather stuck with a hotel and family he didn't want.

I myself was poisoned by my father, without himself ever having known this (he died aged 63 from pancreas cancer), because he didn't know how to be a father, having had the worst possible example. So, instead of teaching me some valuable life lessons, like doing the best you can because life is a jungle, he gave me a Playboy calendar and a beer.

So, the ‘addiction genes’ a study of  may find, could actually point to competitiveness, creativity or other qualities, that are frustrated in a poisonous environment. As we all live in a poisonous environment, thanks to all the neoliberal assholes, preaching money is the only thing you should care about, it's a miracle some people still find non-poisonous enclaves to create beauty in. You can read the the state a country is in by it's leaders. People like Margaret Thatcher ('There is no such thing as society'), Ronald Reagan (B-actor not having a clue about anything), Mark Rutte ('If you want vision, you should go to the optician', ‘Immigrants should fight themselves into society’, ‘I have no active memory about this’) should serve as a red flag. Read more on the neoliberal disaster in ‘What about me, The Struggle for Identity in a Market-based Society - by Paul Verhaeghe’.

There is not a single fiber in my body that craves for alcohol, drugs, tobacco or any other addictive substance, although I still can relate to the feeling. But now I accept the best part of my life went up in smoke, never having been part of any serious competition. I can only tell my story and hope it will be a small contribution to change. Because change we need, that's for sure.

There will always be a large hole in me, where there should have been more good memories than bad ones. Sadly, I have become a big underachiever and hope you will not follow the same course… 

One of the most stupid policies developed by any country in recent history, is the so-called ‘War on drugs’. This war you will never ever win, as it doesn't tackle demand. A far better approach is to introduce mandatory drug tests at the workplace. If sports federations were able to do this, there shouldn't be any legal issues and it's a very, very small ‘price’ to pay having to undergo these tests on a regular basis when it would actually eliminate the whole drug problem, which our society obviously can not bear much longer - our country, The Netherlands, surpassing Italy, which was supposed to be the maffia state.

Don't be so naive to think legalizing cocaine, after the initial mistake of legalising weed, would solve the problem. Then you don't have a clue what the nature of addiction is. Again, read ‘Amusing ourselves to death’ by Neil Postman. You have to change the mentality of people - it's as simple and hard as that.