It should be emphasized that while genetic differences affect risk, there is no “gene for alcoholism,” and both environmental and social factors weigh heavily on the outcome. Genetic factors affect the risk not only for alcohol dependence, but also the level of alcohol consumption and the risk for alcohol-associated diseases, including cirrhosis and upper GI cancers. Knowing that genetic factors affect risk does not mean that we know which specific variants contribute, nor how. This is an area of active research as new genes and variants are being identified.
