Compared to their European American counterparts, African Americans, when considered as an overall group, report higher rates of abstinence and report lower rates of alcohol use based on both current and lifetime use (SAMHSA, 2010, 2011). These findings hold across development, with African Americans reporting lower rates of use and later initiation of drinking during adolescence, report lower rates of drinking and binge drinking during college, and report lower rates of heavy drinking into adulthood (Caetano & Clark, 1998a; Faden, 2006; Wallace et al., 2003a). Despite lower rates of this risky behavior, African Americans, as a whole, report higher rates of alcohol related problems (Mulia et al., 2009; Yoon et al., 2001). Specifically, they report more negative social consequences from drinking, higher rates of alcohol-related illness and injuries, and, possibly, higher rates of alcohol dependence diagnosis and symptoms compared to European Americans.
