An important environmental factor in an adolescent becoming a regular drinker is exposure. The risk of becoming a regular drink or is greater if friends are regular drinkers and if the father is. But, the greater the number of regular drinkers that the adolescence it is exposed the greater the odds of them becoming a regular drinker. If they are exposed to six regular drinkers the odds can be over 100 times that of those who are exposed to just 1 regular drinker.

The Risk of Alcohol Use by Adolescents and Young Adults Increases with Exposure to Regular Drinkers

Regular drinking among adolescents and young adults was defined as drinking “at least a few times per month” while for parents, regular drinking was “at least a few times per week” Exposure to regular alcohol use represents an environmental component of risk of alcohol use among young people.3,760 Twins from the Netherlands Twin Register, ages 12 – 25 years, and their families were included. Alcohol use was determined by self-report. Odds ratios compared to individuals who were not regular drinkers.(Constructed from data in Scholte, R.H.J. et al. Addictive Behaviors, 33: 1-14, 2008) ©2008 NBEP
Monozygotic twins share both genes and environment. The relative risk for becoming a regular drinker is twice as much for monozygotic twin brothers as dizygotic twin brothers indicating both a genetic and environmental component for drinking alcohol

Adolescents With Exposure to Regular Drinkers Have Increased Risk of Becoming Regular Drinkers

Regular drinking was defined as “at least a few times a month” for adolescents and “at least a few times a week” for parents. Risks are relative to those adolescents who have non-regular drinking family members and friends. Increased risk of drinking was most closely associated with regular drinking by a MZ twin, followed by a DZ twin or the same sex and then by friends. A study included 2,596 male twins from the Netherlands Twin Register between ages 12 and 15 years and their families were included in the study, and alcohol use was determined from self-reports. Same study for females. All relative risks were statistically significant. (Constructed from data in Scholte, R.H.J. et al. Addictive Behaviors, 33: 1 -14, 2008) ©2008 NBEP