One likely explanation for the observed distinctions across ethnic groups is a difference in cultural drinking norms, such that among African Americans, for whom problem drinking is less common (Horton, 2007, Skidmore et al., 2012, Wu et al., 2011), alcohol-related problems are driven more by genetic than environmental influences. Although the research on ethnic differences in attitudes toward drinking is sparse, there are some findings in the larger literature that support this hypothesis. For example, stronger parental disapproval of substance use and more conservative attitudes about women’s drinking have been reported in African Americans vs. European Americans (Beck et al., 1995; Gillmore et al., 1990; Herd, 1997). There is also consistent evidence for the protective effects of religiosity against alcohol use and misuse (Bahr and Hoffman, 2010; Brown et al., 2001; Michalak et al., 2006; Wills et al., 2003) and religious involvement is more prevalent in African Americans than European Americans (Johnston et al., 1999; Kosmin and Keysar, 2009; Regnerus et al., 2003). The association between religiosity and reduced risk for problem drinking specifically among African Americans has been demonstrated
