Key takeaways:
Alcoholism can be genetic. About half of a person’s risk of developing alcohol use disorder is due to genetic factors.
Environmental factors also play a role, such as life experiences, including trauma.
If you are at risk of alcoholism, there are things that you can do to help reduce your chances of developing an alcohol addiction, like abstaining from alcohol or moderating your drinking.
Many people drink alcohol, but only some develop alcohol use disorder (AUD). For example, in a 2020 National Study, half of people ages 12 and older in the U.S. reported using alcohol within the month before the study. Around 1 in 10 met the criteria for AUD within the past year. This difference has led many experts and researchers to wonder why some people who drink alcohol develop an addiction, while others don’t.
Research on the causes of alcoholism has found that both genetics and environmental factors affect a person’s risk. Understanding your risk of alcoholism can motivate you to monitor your drinking and take action if you notice signs of a problem.
What causes alcoholism?
Alcoholism is also known as alcohol addiction and alcohol use disorder (AUD). It’s a condition where a person has difficulty controlling their alcohol use. A person with alcoholism may continue to drink even though it negatively affects different areas of their life, like their health and relationships.
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After decades of research, experts believe that alcoholism is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. And this is a complex relationship. Genes alone don’t necessarily cause alcoholism. Rather, genetic and environmental factors work together to affect a person’s risk.
Can alcoholism be genetic?
Yes, alcoholism can be genetic. You have probably seen families where two or more members have AUD. Having a family member with alcoholism definitely affects a person’s risk. Genetics also explain how and why alcoholism is “passed down” between family members.
Studies on adopted children help highlight this risk. In these studies, adopted kids were more likely to have AUD if their biological parents also had alcohol-related problems. If their adopted parents had drinking issues, on the other hand, they were not more likely to develop AUD.
Is there an ‘alcoholic gene’?
While genetics play a role in the risk of alcoholism, there’s no “alcoholic gene.” Someone’s risk of developing AUD is due to variations in thousands of different genes. That said, the genes with the biggest influence on AUD risk play a role in how the body metabolizes alcohol, or breaks it down and processes it.
The ALDH2 and ADH1B genes are two prime examples. Variations of these genes are linked to a buildup of acetaldehyde, a chemical that results from alcohol being metabolized in the body. People who have certain mutations on these genes tend to have higher levels of acetaldehyde after drinking alcohol. These higher levels cause unpleasant side effects, like increased heart rate, flushing, and nausea.
In other words, if someone has certain variations in these two genes, they will feel worse after drinking alcohol than someone who doesn’t have variations in these genes. As a result, they may not be drawn to alcohol as strongly as others. In turn, they have a lower risk of alcoholism due to this genetic mutation.
Feel like you’re drinking too much? Check out these tips to cut back on alcohol.
What does it mean to have a high alcohol tolerance? Tolerance is a symptom of a substance use disorder. Here’s how alcohol tolerance works.
Does alcohol affect people differently? Yes, alcohol’s effects can vary a bit depending on several things. Here’s why drinking alcohol isn’t the same for everyone.
Is alcohol tolerance genetic?
Tolerance is a symptom of AUD. Alcohol tolerance happens when your body adapts to alcohol, which makes the effects less noticeable, even with the same amount of alcohol. This often leads someone to drink more alcohol to feel the effects. Tolerance is more about how much you drink than how often.
Researchers believe that a part of the DNA that contains the CYP2E1 gene affects tolerance to alcohol. More research is needed in this area to better understand how genetics and the amount you drink affect alcohol tolerance.
How much does genetic predisposition to alcoholism increase your chance of addiction?
About half of a person’s risk for alcoholism is due to genetic factors. This means that genetics play a large role in alcoholism. But environmental factors and the interactions between genetics and the environment are also important.
When it comes to the risk for alcoholism, genetics can affect:
How you metabolize alcohol
How sensitive you are to the effects of alcohol
Your level of tolerance to alcohol
Symptoms of withdrawal
How alcohol affects organs in your body
Genetics may also affect how well treatment for alcohol use disorder works for a person. For example, naltrexone is a medication that’s used to treat alcoholism. Studies have found that people who have a variation in a certain gene respond better to naltrexone. More research is needed to understand the role of genetics in alcohol treatment and how to best treat alcohol use disorder.
Why do genetics influence the likelihood of alcoholism?
Genes are segments of DNA that give instructions for how to build proteins. These molecules affect how your body functions. Humans have around 20,000 different genes.
Genes play a part in explaining everything from a person’s eye color to their personality. Genes can also have variants that affect how a person develops. Differences in genes and variants explain why some people are more likely to develop certain conditions, including AUD.
If you have a family history of AUD, then it’s possible that you have a genetic predisposition to it.
How can you prevent alcoholism if you have a hereditary risk factor?
You can’t change your genes, but you can take steps to prevent alcoholism. This is true whether or not you have a hereditary risk factor. Remember, your genes are only part of your risk. No one is guaranteed to develop alcohol use disorder just because of their genes.
Sobriety (not drinking) is a sure way to prevent AUD. And if you choose to drink, it helps to understand how alcohol and your environment influence your body and way of thinking. Here are some tips to help you reduce your risk:
Pay attention to how much and how often you drink. When you drink, try to stay within moderate drinking limits. That’s a max of 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink for women.
Avoid binge drinking.
Find activities that you enjoy and don’t involve drinking.
Spend time with people who don’t drink.
Avoid self-medicating with alcohol, or drinking alcohol to cope with problems.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, alcoholism can skip generations. In other words, just because a parent (or both) experience alcohol use disorder (AUD) doesn’t mean that you will. The reverse is also true. You may still have AUD even if your parents did not. While genetics certainly plays a role in the predisposition for alcoholism, there are other factors at play.
Your risk for alcoholism is a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Beyond your genes, risk factors for developing AUD include:
Starting to drink alcohol at a young age
History of trauma
Mental health conditions like major depression and schizophrenia
Difficulty controlling impulses in childhood or adolescence
Cognitive impairments, which include memory issues
Having a mood disorder can increase your risk for a substance use disorder like AUD. About half of people with bipolar disorder also experience AUD at some point. Major depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia are also linked to AUD.
Yes, it’s possible to drink an alcoholic drink every day without having AUD. But it’s not just about the frequency of your drinking. To help understand whether you may have a drinking problem, you can ask yourself questions about your relationship with alcohol. For example, do you drink more than you want to or do you continue to drink even though alcohol has had negative effects on your life. If you think you may be drinking too much, connect with a healthcare professional or therapist.
No, you can’t be born with AUD. But since your genetics play a role in your risk for AUD, you can be born with a predisposition to developing an AUD later in life.
Yes, alcoholism can skip generations. In other words, just because a parent (or both) experience alcohol use disorder (AUD) doesn’t mean that you will. The reverse is also true. You may still have AUD even if your parents did not. While genetics certainly plays a role in the predisposition for alcoholism, there are other factors at play.
Your risk for alcoholism is a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Beyond your genes, risk factors for developing AUD include:
Starting to drink alcohol at a young age
History of trauma
Mental health conditions like major depression and schizophrenia
Difficulty controlling impulses in childhood or adolescence
Cognitive impairments, which include memory issues
Having a mood disorder can increase your risk for a substance use disorder like AUD. About half of people with bipolar disorder also experience AUD at some point. Major depression, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia are also linked to AUD.
Yes, it’s possible to drink an alcoholic drink every day without having AUD. But it’s not just about the frequency of your drinking. To help understand whether you may have a drinking problem, you can ask yourself questions about your relationship with alcohol. For example, do you drink more than you want to or do you continue to drink even though alcohol has had negative effects on your life. If you think you may be drinking too much, connect with a healthcare professional or therapist.
No, you can’t be born with AUD. But since your genetics play a role in your risk for AUD, you can be born with a predisposition to developing an AUD later in life.
The bottom line
Genetics make up about half of a person’s risk of developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Your environment, including your social surroundings and relationships, also play a role. Understanding your risk of alcoholism is important. If you believe that you have a genetic predisposition, you can benefit from carefully monitoring your drinking and getting help if you notice that you’re showing signs of an AUD.
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References
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Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Project. (n.d.). Response to alcohol.
Edenberg, H. J., et al. (2013). Genetics and alcoholism. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
Hahn, A. (2016). The truth about tolerance: How much do you really know about your body’s relationship with alcohol? University of Wisconsin-Madison Health Services.
Heath, A. C. (1995). Genetic influences on alcoholism risk. Alcohol Health and Research World.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). Health topics: Genetics and alcohol use disorder. National Institute of Health.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025). Risk factors: Varied Vulnerability to Alcohol-Related Harm. National Institute of Health.
Richesson, D., et al. (2021). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Schuckit, M. A. (2014). A brief history of research on the genetics of alcohol and other drug use disorders. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Yang, P., et al. (2018). The risk factors of the alcohol use disorders—through review of its comorbidities. Frontiers in Neuroscience.
Zakhari, S. (2006). Overview: How is alcohol metabolized by the body? Alcohol Research & Health.
