The reduction of racial disparities in alcohol-related problems may thus require efforts that address both individual drinking motives and behaviors, as well as broader social and environmental contexts that give rise to problems. In order that specific recommendations for prevention policy can be developed, research must first pinpoint the particular types of problems that racial/ethnic minorities are more prone to experiencing, and determine whether their origins lie more in drinking behavior, or are shaped as well by social and cultural factors (Kuendig, et al., 2008). By attending more closely to the nature of problems, we can begin to work more effectively to address them.
