Alcoholism - Genetics or Environment

Alcoholism: Genetics or Environment

Alcoholism, by definition, is a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms on reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and vocationally. Alcoholism. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved December 16, 2007, Although alcoholics seem to be nasty, disturbing, and evil people, they are no more than a regular, loving person that has been consumed by the disease of alcoholism. These people are in need of our help and loving support, and not our criticism and hatred.

Alcohol, although loved by many, is becoming a growing problem in the United States. Alcoholism has done, and is doing, physical damage to a vast amount of the population, not to mention the psychological and emotional affects alcoholism and alcoholics have on the people that they interact with. To prove my point, here are some staggering statistics taken from the U.S. population. Seventy-six million people, about forty-three percent of adults, have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. An estimated six and a half million children under the age of eighteen live in households with at least one alcoholic parent. Currently nearly fourteen million Americans, one in every thirteen adults, abuse alcohol or are an alcoholic. One half of all traffic fatalities, and one-third of all traffic injuries, are related to abuse of alcohol. It is estimated that over three million teens, between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, in the United States today are alcoholics. Sixty-two percent of high school seniors report that they have been drunk. Thirty-one percent say they have had five or more drinks in a row during the last two weeks. Youth who begin drinking before they turn fifteen are twice as likely to develop an alcohol abuse problem, and four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence, compared with persons who did not begin drinking before age twenty-one. Studies of suicide victims in the general population show that about twenty percent are alcoholic. Alcohol contributes to one hundred thousand deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States, after tobacco, and diet and activity patterns. Eight million Americans suffer from the disease of alcoholism. Three million Americans, approximately one point four percent of the population twelve and older, received addiction treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems in 1997; treatment peaked among people twenty-six to thirty-four.

The institution of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Teens and Families. November 27, 2007

For most adults, moderate alcohol use is not harmful. However, many people in the United States and all around the world have developed a problem with alcohol and the severe addiction that it can have on a person. Alcoholics not only crave alcohol or the affects of the substance, but they also have a loss of control when it comes to knowing when to stop. Another telltale sign of an alcoholic is the physical dependence that a person develops, such as withdrawal symptoms, that include: nausea, sweating, and shaking after a few days of not drinking. The last, and perhaps the most dangerous, sign of an alcoholic is the fact that they develop a tolerance to alcohol. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Health Topics. November 27, 2007. Thus, they need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to feel the effects, which can be very dangerous to the internal organs of the human body.

Alcoholism is theorized by many to be a genetic disease, and by others to be a disease that is brought upon by the environment of the individual. So the question remains, does genetics or the environment of the individual cause alcoholism, or is it a combination of both? Studies have been conducted on twins and children of alcoholics. These studies where conducted to find if there was any difference between the twins of the same alcoholic parent, or parents. The studies have shown that the children of alcoholics are four times more likely to have trouble with alcohol. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. A Family History of Alcoholism, are you at risk? November 27, 2007.

"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." Buddy T. Your Guide to Alcoholism. November 27, 2007.

So, statistics show that alcoholism, although may be influenced by the environment, has a genetic origin.

Why do scientists do genetic research on alcoholism? They do this research in the hope that they can discover a specific gene that can be proven to be the cause of alcoholism. A discovery of this type of gene could do wonders for the world. People could then get tested to see if they have a high risk of becoming an alcoholic, and in turn, create steps the detour their lives away from alcohol and the anguish that it can have on, not only the individual, but everyone that he or she comes into contact with. Even though so many studies have