Sorry... while these things (smoking and drinking) aren't good in general, all that I've read and the oncologists I've talked to say universally that GERD, or acid reflux over decades, is what causes a change in the lining of our esophagus, and makes some of us prone to developing EC. Even a hereditary component is heavily discounted. But to me, the hiatal hernia component being a big factor in EC developing... if this runs in families... then maybe. But the ties are strong for certain other cancers (like lung cancer) to smoking. Be well.