Uncovering the genetic and environmental underpinnings of early alcohol use and problem drinking across ethnic groups is essential to refining etiological models of the course of AUDs in order to develop culturally appropriate intervention strategies. The next logical step in this line of research is to apply similar methods to samples that include a wider range of ethnic groups as well as males. By doing so, the groundwork will be laid for future investigations to incorporate measured genes and measured environmental risk and protective factors associated with various drinking stages into studies of ethnic differences in the course of AUD development.
