The current study utilized an alcohol challenge paradigm to test subjects with and without ADH1B*3 alleles for differences in their subjective and physiological response to alcohol. We administered a moderate dose of alcohol, designed to produce a peak breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of approximately 0.075 to 0.080%, to a sample of African American young adults (ages 21–26). Measures of alcohol response (including self-reported sedation, stimulation, and pulse rate) were assessed at baseline, every 15 minutes during the first hour following ingestion, and every 30 minutes for 90 minutes thereafter. Participants were genotyped for polymorphisms of ADH1B, ADH1C, and the ALDH1A1 promoter region.
