When it comes to the argument of alcoholism with nature vs.

nurture, I would have to side with nurture. We are constantly being

bombarded with countless ads promoting the positive use of alcohol,
without stating the harmful effects of its use. The cruel fact that we
dont educate our society on how common it is and denying them the
help and information they need to live a healthy, successful life is
forever going to be a problem. Our Westernized cultures view on
drinking is one of the most destructive, and should be changed.
All around us we are faced with the media drowning us in ads,
painting a picture that drinking is of absolute bliss. It is something you
do to trigger a fun night out with your friends, a way of class for some,
and others a way to relieve a rough day. In commercials a young teen
would see a carefree girl drinking with her friends without a care in the
world. In her eyes she sees that as normal, we have desensitized our
society into thinking something so innocent cannot turn into something
so destructive. Creating this image is leading many people blindly to
fall victims of alcoholism.
We as a society need to be sensitive to alcohol dependency,
as it is a real ordeal and can change simply by educating each other.
Realizing that there are young children out there who are being
influenced by those around them or simply by what they have seen on
TV. Children are very impressionable, meaning we should start
teaching them at a young age how to respect alcohol. From childhood

we are told to never drink, not until we were 19. All the years up until
then they are left unaware of how much control alcohol can have on
their lives. For some people, they carry a certain gene that is
responsible for alcohol dependency; meaning they impulsively drink,
they have absolutely no control over it. We are taught to think that
they have weak will power or addiction problems, when reality it is a
genetic predisposition. The issue of alcoholism cannot be solved until
the root of the problem is addressed.
In France, schools are now holding courses in high school to
teach teenagers everything they need to know about wines. Giving
them a sense of pride and respect for drinking, where as in the western
part of the world we gorge ourselves with as much alcohol as possible.
France has the lowest percentage of underage drinkers compared to
North America.
I believe alcoholism is created by both nature and nurture, but
what we have done to fix it makes me believe it is nurture. We
completely ignore those that need help, and deny that there is the
slight chance it could be biological. We make glamorized ads on
drinking, without the thought of its repercussion. It has also become
part of our culture to see drinking as socially acceptable to over
indulge. I believe we play a huge role on the nurture side of alcoholism.

Nature

Nurture

1.Genetics can play a huge role on

alcoholism; there is a certain gene that
is found in some individuals called
GABRG3. This gene is responsible for
alcohol dependence.

1. Alcohol is all over the media and

cannot be ignored. It is recognized as a
way to relax, have fun, and be
sophisticated.

2. DRD2 is also linked to alcohol for it is

the dopamine receptor and works as
the reward system. This is also related
to addiction.
3. SLC6A4 this gene is linked to
emotions. It can play role in alcoholism
by making the user want more to fulfill
something emotionally.
4. Some people are born with addictive
personalities. Drinking is a huge
problem with them because they would
have a tough time quitting.

2. Culture has a huge impact on how we

approach drinking. In some cultures it is
socially acceptable to drink at a young
age where as in others it is a taboo. This
can create limitations on how we
educate the younger part of the
population.
3.Lack of education can build an
ignorant approach on treating people
with alcoholism and preventing future
cases. The fact that we are not sensitive
to it means that there are people being
undiagnosed and not getting the help
they need.
4. Peer pressure is one of the highest
reasons people start drinking, especially
in college. We naturally want to fit in

with the crowd and will do whatever we

can to blend.

Citations:
Risky Alcohol Use in Teens: It's Nature and Nurture. (2013, December 10).
Retrieved October 16, 2015.

Alcoholism Nature vs. Nurture | Dual Diagnosis. (n.d.). Retrieved October

16, 2015.