I think drinking to subside pain runs in some familes.

When it happens with one parent.. then now with the other, is it safe to say its a family thing or just an everybody thing?

Can someone give me some insight?

Do you mean drinking as in alcholic? Alcoholics will drink at any excuse: pain, boredom, depression, sleepy, cant go to sleep, you name it. Yes, it tends to run in famlies.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/FamilyHistory/famhist.htm