Most of the decline is in the use of spirits, not wine or beer. Smaller studies had shown that most of the folks drinking less were the white folks, not the blacks and Hispanics. The study showed differences in the impact of alcohol across ethnic groups. White, black and Hispanic men began drinking heavily at different ages and with what appears to be different lasting impact. Black men increase their drinking during their 30s and 40s with a peak in their 40s.
Hispanic data reflect a similar pattern.
White men have the highest level of drinking in their 20s, with a downward trend into their 60s. While white men seem to be able to go into heavy drinking early and then back off, black men have a longer exposure to the risk and of developing problems related to the risk with a much higher rate of cirrhosis of the liver than white men. We re still looking at the lifetime trajectory in Hispanics, Caetano said. The University of Texas Houston Health Science Center. Permission to reprint is available upon request.