birth cohorts drinking much more heavily than others14,15; however, corresponding studies in U.S. samples on the relationship of these changes to genetic influences for alcohol use have not been conducted. Dick and Kendler10 and Sher et al.12 also underscored more proximate environmental social controls related to peer and family networks, including role transitions like marriage or marriage-like relationships, parental monitoring, and relationships with deviant or antisocial peers. Kendler et al.16 showed that low parental monitoring and high peer deviance were associated with increased genetic influences on alcohol use in youth. Similar social control processes also may be happening on the community level. Neighborhood environments characterized by urbanicity and increased access to alcohol (which have been associated with increased genetic influences on alcohol consumption) may be associated with lower monitoring and control of others’ behavior, particularly in concert with high residential mobility16,17.
