Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAlcoholism’s Genetic ComponentContributing Percentage of RiskOther Factors to Consider

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Alcoholism’s Genetic Component

Contributing Percentage of Risk

Other Factors to Consider

Is there any scientific evidence that your genes may predispose you to have an alcohol dependency if your parents or grandparents did? While many studies have been done, and experts agree that there is a hereditary connection, genetics is not the only factor, and we don’t quite know the full impact it has on alcoholism.

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows alcoholism has a genetic component.According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,children of alcoholicsare four times more likely than other children to become alcoholics.Yet, environmental factors could also be a factor in many of those cases.

Family, twin, and adoption studies have shown that alcoholism definitely has a genetic component. In 1990, Blum et al. proposed an association between the A1 allele of the DRD2 gene and alcoholism. The DRD2 gene was the first candidate gene that showed promise of an association with alcoholism.

A study in Sweden followed alcohol use in twins who were adopted as children and reared apart. The incidence of alcoholism was slightly higher among people who were exposed to alcoholism only through their adoptive families. However, it was dramatically higher among the twins whose biological fathers were alcoholics, regardless of the presence of alcoholism in their adoptive families.

Subsequent genetic studies have attempted to pinpoint the exact genes associated with alcoholism, but none have produced conclusive results.  A number of genes have been identified that play a factor in the risky behaviors associated with alcohol abuse or dependence as well.Some are directly related, and others have only an indirect influence.

Fruit Fly Similarities

Hugo Bellen, a geneticist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said the study “lays the foundation for a genetic approach to dissecting the acute, and possibly the chronic, effects” of alcohol in people.

Genetical Sensitivities to Alcohol

In another study, scientists selectively bred two strains of mice: those that are not genetically sensitive to alcohol and those that are acutely genetically sensitive to it. The two strains show markedly different behavior when exposed to identical amounts of alcohol.

The sensitive mice tend to lose their inhibitions and pass out rather quickly, earning them the nickname “long sleepers.” “Short sleepers” are mice that are genetically less sensitive to alcohol. They seem to lose fewer inhibitions and tolerate alcohol for longer before they pass out.

What Percentage of Someone’s Genetic Background May Contribute to Alcohol Dependency?Genes only make up about 50% of your risk for alcoholism.

What Percentage of Someone’s Genetic Background May Contribute to Alcohol Dependency?

Genes only make up about 50% of your risk for alcoholism.

If alcoholism can be traced to a particular gene or combination of genes, how can the information be used?

“These genes are for risk, not for destiny,” stressed Dr. Enoch Gordis, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He added that the research could help in identifying youngsters at risk of becoming alcoholics and could lead to early prevention efforts.

What This Means For YouWhat this means forfamily members of alcoholicsis that you are not necessarily going to misuse alcohol yourself. However, your odds of developing a dependency are higher than others.Factors like your environment and ability to handle situations triggering dependency are just as important as genetics.These are things that we can remain mindful of as we continue to develop an understanding of alcoholism on a personal basis.

What This Means For You

What this means forfamily members of alcoholicsis that you are not necessarily going to misuse alcohol yourself. However, your odds of developing a dependency are higher than others.Factors like your environment and ability to handle situations triggering dependency are just as important as genetics.These are things that we can remain mindful of as we continue to develop an understanding of alcoholism on a personal basis.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Its Impact on Mental Health

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Edenberg HJ, Foroud T.Genetics and alcoholism.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;10(8):487-94. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.86

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.Children of Alcoholics.

Gordis E, Tabakoff B, Goldman D, Berg K.Finding the gene(s) for alcoholism.JAMA. 1990;263(15):2094-5. doi:10.1001/jama.1990.03440150102034

Kendler KS, Ji J, Edwards AC, Ohlsson H, Sundquist J, Sundquist K.An extended Swedish national adoption study of alcohol use disorder.JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72(3):211-8. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.2138

Thompson A, Cook J, Choquet H, et al.Functional validity, role, and implications of heavy alcohol consumption genetic loci.Sci Adv. 2020;6(3):eaay5034. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aay5034

Devineni AV, Heberlein U.Preferential ethanol consumption in Drosophila models features of addiction.Curr Biol. 2009;19(24):2126-32. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.10.070

Mayfield RD, Harris RA, Schuckit MA.Genetic factors influencing alcohol dependence. Br J Pharmacol. 2008;154(2):275-87. doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.88National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Genetics of alcohol use disorder. 2008;31(4).

Mayfield RD, Harris RA, Schuckit MA.Genetic factors influencing alcohol dependence. Br J Pharmacol. 2008;154(2):275-87. doi:10.1038/bjp.2008.88

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Genetics of alcohol use disorder. 2008;31(4).

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