Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, representing about 17% of the population, or more than 50 million people. Research shows that alcohol consumption patterns among Hispanics are different from the consumption patterns of non-Hispanic whites and other ethnic or racial groups.
Understanding these differences can help prevention, intervention, and treatment programs better serve the Hispanic community.
Globally, Hispanics are less likely to consume alcohol compared to non-Hispanic whites. In fact, Hispanics have higher rates of alcohol abstinence. However, Hispanics who choose to consume alcohol are more likely to consume large volumes of alcohol compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Having a high tolerance for alcohol may also be connected to how the body metabolizes the substance, although scientists haven’t pinpointed specific gene variants for that, like they have for low tolerance.
Alcohol use disorder — the inability to stop or control one’s drinking despite negative consequences — is a highly heritable condition. Research suggests that having an immediate family member, like a parent or sibling, with the disorder increases an individual’s chances of developing it roughly three- to fourfold. Approximately 50 percent of a person’s risk comes from their genes, but their home and social environments are also important factors.
Here’s what to know about how alcoholism runs in families and a few ways to guard yourself against it.
How do genetics put you at risk?
No single gene is responsible for a person developing alcohol use disorder; Instead, experts say hundreds of genes likely play a role.
Scientists have identified some of the traits that these genes influence, starting with how the body processes alcohol. If alcohol metabolism is impaired, drinking can be physically unpleasant, giving people nausea and headaches.
Having this trait, which is associated with at least two gene variants that are most common in people of Asian descent, lowers someone’s risk of alcohol use disorder because they’re less likely to drink very much, or at all.
On the other end of the spectrum are people who “can pretty much drink other people under the table” before feeling the effects of alcohol, said Dr. Marc Schuckit, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
These people have a greater risk for alcohol use disorder because they’re more likely to drink more.
“The longer you can postpone someone’s first drink, you decrease their risk of developing multifold alcoholism,”
Having a high tolerance for alcohol may also be connected to how the body metabolizes the substance, although scientists haven’t pinpointed specific gene variants for that, like they have for low tolerance. Dr. Schuckit added that some people don’t feel as intoxicated as others do when they’ve had a lot to drink, or they may not recognize how drunk they actually are and therefore miss the signal to slow down or stop.
Our genes can also affect impulsivity and how the brain responds to rewards — traits that are linked to alcohol use disorder, as well as other types of addiction. These characteristics can influence someone to seek out fun or pleasurable experiences, such as heavier drinking, without thinking about the consequences.
What accounts for the rest of a person’s risk?
A person’s environment growing up also has a large impact on their drinking behavior. If someone is raised in a household where drinking excessively is normal, and if they have positive associations with alcohol, they are more likely to try it, said R. Kathryn McHugh, the chief of psychology at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts.
The age someone starts drinking makes a big difference in terms of their risk. According to one often-cited study, roughly 16 percent of people who first try alcohol between the ages of 11 and 12 go on to develop a dependence, while just 1 percent of people who start drinking when they are 19 or older do.
“The longer you can postpone someone’s first drink, you decrease their risk of developing multifold alcoholism,” said Dr. Kathleen Brady, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. Experts think that’s because early exposure to alcohol can change the brain while it’s still developing, particularly in areas related to self-control.
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