Best friends' drinking can negate protective effects of an alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene variant

Alcohol use that begins during adolescence affects the development of alcohol use disorders during adulthood. A new study looks at the effects of interplay between peer drinking and the functional variant rs1229984 in the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene (ADH1B) among adolescents. Peer drinking reduces the protective effects of this ADH1B variant, experts have found.