ABSTRACT
The distribution of drinking patterns in specific racial and ethnic groups is of great interest from the public health perspective. The “governing images” of alcohol problems differ considerably from one society to another, and they shift over time in a particular society or culture. Past epidemiological studies clearly indicate that race and gender differences in drinking pattern may play an important role in the development of medical conditions associated with alcohol misuse. Thus there is a considerable variation in the proportion of drinkers in a given population when divided by ethnicity, gender, age, religious affiliation and socio-economic status.
