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Kids with alcoholic parents may be more likely to suffer same addiction

By Staff Writer

While early exposure to alcoholic behaviors has been shown to increase the chances that a child will develop a substance abuse problem, a recent study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research indicates that offspring of alcoholic parents may inherit genetic risk factors for the disorder.

The investigators collected data from more than 7,000 babies that were born in Copenhagen over a three-year period.

The study's findings showed that regardless of parents' socioeconomic status or history of psychological disorders, children who were born to alcoholic parents were more likely to develop the same addictions later in life. Moreover, the results indicated that these risks were more pronounced among females with alcoholic mothers or fathers.

According to the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base, nearly half of Americans over the age of 12 are current drinkers. The organization estimates that more than 6 million teens between the ages of 12 and 20 engage in binge drinking.

Adolescents who struggle to control their alcohol use may benefit from attending schools for troubled youth, where they can learn to cope with their disorder.

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