Prevalence rates of alcohol abuse and dependence were higher among respondents under 45 years than among those 45 years or older, regardless of sex or ethnicity (table 1). For males, the prevalence rate in the youngest age group (18 to 29 years) was 22.07 percent. The rate decreased approximately 50 percent among 30-to-44-year-old males (10.65) and was reduced to 1.18 among those 65 years and older. For females, the highest prevalence rate also was found in the youngest age group (9.84 percent), with the rates falling steadily to 0.27 percent in females 65 years and older. Possible explanations for the decline in alcohol abuse and dependence rates with age may include faulty recall accompanying increasing age, lower survival rates among alcoholics, and various response styles. Alternately, the age gradient may reflect a true cohort effect; that is, that alcohol abuse and dependence are more prevalent among the younger generation of Americans.
