Chunk #56 — Explanations for Greater Negative Social Consequences of Alcohol Use among African Americans Compared to European Americans — Vulnerability to Alcohol Effects
American females at a moderate dose of alcohol. Moreover, recent work by Pedersen and McCarthy (2012) found that African Americans experienced a sharper increase in stimulation on the ascending limb compared to European Americans at the same dose of alcohol administered. These increases in stimulation were more strongly associated with higher levels of alcohol related problems, such as legal problems, blackouts, and trouble with friends for the African American participants compared to the European American participants. These findings suggest the possibility that some African Americans may have a heightened sensitivity to alcohol that result in more pronounced negative effects and negative consequences from drinking at comparable and potentially even at lower levels of use.
