The genetics of alcoholism (now formally called AUD) was founded on many years of observations that alcohol problems cluster in families (Cotton, 1979). The fact that alcoholism tends to run in families has been documented by almost every civilization dating back to at least the ancient Greeks (Goodwin, 1979). However, a family history of alcoholism, although a critical step in considering whether genetic factors might be important, is not conclusive proof that a familial association is produced by genes, environment, or the interaction of both.
