Like everything, our genes dictate our characteristics and propensities. There's no Gene that makes someone an alcoholic. But some people definitely have a propensity for alcoholism based on their genes. I was a very severe stutterer. None of my kids have any sort of speech impediment. It's my opinion that everything we are has some genetic component. I don't give a lot of weight to genetics with regards to stuttering. It certainly a factor, but I don't give it a tremendous amount of weight.