Analysis of human gene–environment interactions also are complicated by the fact that these interactions are important from adolescent exposure to alcohol and then throughout life. Accordingly, from a developmental perspective, the critical environmental influences are likely to change over time (e.g., the relative influence of family versus peer factors). Studies that follow genetically specified animals prospectively while extracting biological information at different times along the way are a promising area for future research that has not been sufficiently exploited thus far.
