You might be genetically inclined to get buzzed from drinking less. A study published on December 8th by researchers from the Earnest Gallo Clinic and Research Center indicates that the SNP rs1051730, is linked to a gene that affects how much alcohol you need to get buzzed.

The study is kind of funny. Participants were subjected to a “10 am 3 drink challenge,” and body sway was measured afterward. It was found that those homozygous for cytosine (C) at this particular locus responded quicker to the alcohol than did those homozygous for thymine (T). In fact, those who responded slower to alcohol (T individuals) were at a higher long-term risk to alcohol abuse.

What does this mean for me? For one thing, I could screen all of my dates in order to determine who would be the cheapest to take out drinking. More importantly, I could choose which combination to give my kid: do I prepare him to be the ultimate binge drinker in college by giving him two copies of the T gene? Or do I lower his risk for alcoholism by giving him two C’s, making him a lush? Such questions are going to plague me in my quest to build the perfect child.

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