In most societies and throughout historical time, alcohol has been consumed to enhance well-being, social relationships and even health. However, a significant number of individuals eventually end up being unable to keep within safe limits of consumption and become addicted. The essential features of addiction are loss of control over consumption, obsessive thoughts about the drug and continuation of use despite knowledge of negative health and social consequences [4,5]. Therefore alcoholism has features of both impulsivity and compulsivity. Unhealthy drinking patterns frequently begin in adolescence [6] and early age of onset of alcohol use (< 15 years) predicts adult AUD [7,8]. By their early twenties, half of all alcoholics have developed their symptoms [9] however the transition from drinking onset to AUD varies with race/ethnicity [10].
