The ADH1B*3 allele has been found primarily in people of African descent (Bosron & Li, 1987) from almost all regions of Africa (Osier et al., 2002). This allele has also been identified at low frequency (≈ 6%) in certain Native American groups (Wall et al., 1997), although this may be due to population admixture. Up to one-third of African Americans possess an ADH1B*3 allele (Ehlers et al., 2001; Li et al., 2001; McCarver et al., 1997). In African Americans, the presence of at least one ADH1B*3 allele has been associated with reduced drinking behavior (Ehlers et al., 2001) and lower risk for alcohol dependence (Ehlers et al., 2007; Edenberg et al., 2006; Luo et al., 2006). ADH1B*3 has also been found to be negatively associated with family history of alcohol dependence (Ehlers et al., 2001) and associated with decreased risk of alcohol-related birth defects (McCarver et al., 1997). ADH1B*3 alleles have also been associated with reduced likelihood of alcohol dependence and heavy consumption in Native Americans (Wall et al., 2003).
