“It’s not you; it’s your genes.” This ideology has been applied to everything from the size of our waist to the breadth of our intelligence. Its newest application? Drinking.
The latest piece of insight into the human genome indicates the existence of a ‘tipsy gene.’ According to researchers, up to 10 – 20% of the population might have this gene, called “CYPE21”. CYPE21, codes for an enzyme that breaks down alcohol. Although most of the alcohol that we consume is broken down in the liver, CYPE21 produces enzymes that break down alcohol in the brain. Those who have the gene get drunk quicker—and since these people are more likely to feel the negative effects of alcohol, they’re less likely to get addicted.
Research on CYPE21 is still in its preliminary stages. Although an initial study did show that confirm that people with CYPE21 did get drunk quicker, integration of this new idea into curbing alcoholism is just starting. However, researchers believe that developing drugs similar in function to the enzymes that CYPE21 codes for can be used to reduce a person’s alcohol consumption. Apparently, the purpose is not intended to make people ‘get drunk quicker’, but to prevent people from having to erode away their liver just to get drunk (whatever the intention, the effect is the same).
However, jumping on this tipsy gene bandwagon might lead to a host of societal problems, because, as always, the discovery of any new gene can stir up a little buzz. Although it is well known that alcoholism does run in families, can evidence of this new ‘tipsy gene’ be used to excuse people who don’t have the gene from their drunken acts of stupidity (or violence)? And what about genetic screening? People are already expressing interest for selecting kids with ‘blonde hair’ or ‘blue eyes’—who’s to say that they won’t select for a ‘non-alcoholic’ child?
Although the tipsy gene does provide some useful insight into the cause and effects of alcoholism, it is worth noting that alcoholism is a combination of bad genes and bad environment. You can’t blame everything on your parents. Besides, evidence of this tipsy gene might actually ruin our engineering reputation. After all, what if someone claims that it might be a lower-than-average incidence of the tipsy gene among engineering students that allows us to ‘demolish forty beers’? I think we deserve more credit.
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