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Age is the largest single factor altering the prevalence of alcohol use. This is followed by sex differences. It can be seen in the figure that there is a mark drop off and the diagnosis of alcohol dependence between the ages of 18 through 65. The highest being in the 18 to 29-year-old group. There is also a lower prevalence of a diagnosis of alcohol dependence in women which is about half that in men across all age groups.
There are also variations in the amount of alcohol use and the diagnosis of alcohol dependence and abuse depending on race and ethnicity. The highest rates are in Native Americans and the lowest rates are in Asian Americans.
Of considerable importance are the effects of alcohol in special populations. American Indian and Alaska native populations have a much higher rate of alcohol-related problems. He can be seen in the figure that the number of deaths and the number of deaths as a percent of the total deaths as well as the years of potential life lost from alcohol is approximately double that of the USA general population.
