Male sex has also been identified as a risk factor for early onset of drinking (Grucza et al., 2008b; Keyes et al., 2010; Schuckit et al., 1998) and the development of alcohol use disorders (Hasin et al., 2007; Keyes et al., 2008; Rice et al., 2003). Analyses of more than 6,000 respondents between 15 and 44 years of age in the National Comorbidity Survey found that while the number of men and women alcohol drinkers was similar, there were almost twice as many cases of alcohol dependence among men (Wagner and Anthony, 2007). Further, the same study found that the cumulative probability of alcohol dependence ten years after initiating alcohol use was approximately three times higher for men. Lopez-Quintero et al. (in press) found that men were more likely than women to transition from alcohol use to dependence.
