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Researchers suggest this is part of a growing amount of evidence that alcohol use can cause genetic changes that reinforce addiction and can be passed down to future generations.
Two genes — PER2 and POMC — are most impacted and are responsible for a greater tolerance to alcohol, which means more is needed to get the same desired effect. But the study also looked at the epigenetic impact — the idea that the damage could be passed down to future generations.
The research suggests it can.