Scientists believe alcoholism has a genetic link. However, genetic risk is not destiny. A child of an alcoholic parent will not automatically develop alcoholism. And a person with no family history of alcoholism can become alcohol dependent.
Some research suggests that a person's environment, such as the influence of friends, stress levels, and the ease of obtaining alcohol, can influence whether or not a person drinks or becomes alcoholic. Other factors, such as social support, might help to protect even high-risk people from alcohol problems.
Socio-demographic Factors
Non-genetic factors for alcohol use include:
- Region of residence. Those who live in the South are 15 percent less likely to use alcohol.
- Population. Those living in a metropolitan area with a population greater than 1 million are slightly more likely to drink alcohol, but appear to do so moderately. They are slightly less likely to drink heavily.
- Family income. The higher the income, the more likely someone is to drink moderately. Conversely, the lower the income, the more likely someone is to drink heavily. For example, heavy drinking is higher among individuals with family incomes of less than $20,000 than among individuals with family incomes of greater than $40,000.
- Employment status. Alcohol abuse is highest among unemployed individuals, second-highest among employed individuals, and lowest among individuals who are not in the labor force.
- Insurance coverage/welfare. Individuals who are not covered by health insurance or who live in households where a family member is receiving welfare have a relatively high prevalence of most substance abuse, including alcohol.
- Schooling. Alcohol use increases regularly with educational attainment to a peak among individuals with more than 12 years of schooling. However, high schoolers are more likely to drink heavily, and dropouts are more likely to abuse alcohol.
- Marital status. Alcoholism and heavy drinking are more prevalent among never-married individuals than among widowed, divorced, or separated individuals.
- Number of children. Individuals without children of their own are 50 percent more likely to use alcohol heavily, or be alcohol dependent.
- Family structure. An adolescent is more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and use illicit drugs if he lives in a household with only one biological parent. In addition, low levels of parental emotional support, and a lack of control and monitoring of child behaviors are linked to the early onset of alcohol use and other adolescent problem behaviors.
- Family history. Young adult offspring from families with alcoholism have elevated levels of alcohol problems compared with peers with no family history of alcoholism.
- Psychological factors. Some researchers suggest that people who are characterized by high levels of "sensation seeking" or who expect that alcohol use will enhance positive mood are more strongly motivated to drink. Some people use alcohol to cope with stress.
Nearly 14 million people in the United States – one in every 13 adults – abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. No single, simple explanation exists for why some people develop problems with alcohol. Researchers continue to examine environment and heredity to identify risk factors for alcohol misuse. Likely, they will conclude that environmental influences are at least as important, and possibly more important, than genetic influences. |
