Alcohol use is one of the leading contributors to preventable mortality and morbidity world-wide [1–3]. Twin and family studies indicate that genetic influences account for approximately 50% of the variation in the population [4]; however, there is strong evidence that the importance of genetic influences changes across environmental contexts, otherwise referred to as gene–environment interaction, or G × E [5,6]. Environments that allow greater access to alcohol, or acceptance of alcohol use, may create opportunity for increased manifestation of individual predispositions toward alcohol misuse and consequently the development of problems [7–11]. Conversely, environments that exert more social control, such as greater parental monitoring in adolescence, appear to reduce the importance of genetic predispositions [7,12]. Mapping which environments reduce alcohol misuse among those at greater genetic risk will be critical for developing tailored prevention intervention strategies as we move into an era of precision medicine.
