Is Alcoholism Caused By Genetics or By the Environment?
Genetic and Environmental Factors According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a person’s risk of developing alcoholism is 60% determined by his or her genetics and 40% caused by his or her environment. Assuming that these statistics are accurate, what can be done to reduce the chances of becoming addicted to alcohol? Genetic Causes of Alcoholism Regarding the genetic determinants of alcoholism, those who say, “nothing can be done” are not totally correct. True, a person cannot change his genetics. Knowing, however, that there is a history of alcoholism in a person’s family, for example, can help a person “prevent” this potential problem from ever starting if he practices total abstinence. This kind of preventative thinking is an example of a “proactive” approach to problem solving. More Proactive Problem Solving The following illustration, however, is an even more extreme example of “proactive” problem solving that can affect the genetic basis of alcoho
