higher levels of religiosity. These factors combine with the apparent presence of a protective genetic factor (the ADH1B*3 allele), which appears to reduce risk by accelerating the rate of metabolism of alcohol for some African Americans (Ehlers et al., 2003). Although the presence of the ADHIB*3 allele has not been researched as heavily as other alleles, such as ALDH2*2, the limited research conducted does suggest the allele offers protection against alcoholism among African Americans. However, more large scale studies need to be conducted to establish the reliability of this finding. Thus, it appears to be the case that African Americans drink less than European Americans for a combination of historical, contextual, cultural, and, perhaps, genetic reasons (Table 3 provides details on the studies reviewed in this section).
