In the United States, AUD accounts for a high and potentially preventable proportion of overall disability and mortality. However, the burden of disease related to alcohol use and its consequences differs significantly between population subgroups. The myriad of genetic, social, and environmental risk factors for AUD and their impact in various subpopulations remain to be elucidated. Future epidemiologic studies will include information necessary to prevent and treat alcohol and drug use disorders by identifying factors that increase the risk of these disorders and their persistence in the general population as well as in specific subgroups.
