Nature, nurture key in teen alcoholism

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands, May 7 (UPI) -- A Dutch study of twins finds a genetic link to early alcoholism, but also notes the role of environmental factors after drinking begins.

The study -- published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research -- found genetic factors were most important for variation in early initiation of alcohol use, while common environmental factors explained most of the variation in frequency of drinking once alcohol use had been initiated.

"This study shows that genetic factors are also involved in early initiation and that is a new perspective," study leader Evelien A. P. Poelen of Radboud University Nijmegen said in a statement. "A lot of studies examining alcohol use in adolescents have focused on several social factors in alcohol use, for example, the influence of friends and parents, while genetic factors have often been neglected. We thought both factors should be taken into account simultaneously."

The study was based on data collected through the Netherlands Twin Register that identified almost 700 twin pairs -- 12 to 15 years old between l993 to 2000. Initiation and frequency of drinking was compared in fraternal vs. identical twins as a function of three influences -- genetic effects, common environmental effects and unique environmental effects.