These results provide strong evidence that the His48 allele in β-ADH is strongly associated with a reduced likelihood of a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence and a lower maximum number of drinks consumed in a 24-hour period in individuals of both European and African ancestry. The effect of this association is seen early in the course of illness and predicts the development of alcohol dependence in adolescents and young adults who are at the beginning of their drinking career. The direction of these effects is similar to that found in Asians, among whom the allele frequency is much higher.
