Alcohol abuse and alcoholism cut across gender, race, and nationality. In the United States, 17.6 million people–about l in every 12 adults–abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. In general, more men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems. And alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults ages 65 and older. We also know that people who start drinking at an early age–for example, at age 14 or younger–are at much higher risk of developing alcohol problems at some point in their lives compared to someone who starts drinking at age 21 or after. (See also “News Releases,” June 10, 2004 “Alcohol Abuse Increases, Dependence Declines Across Decade: Young Adult Minorities Emerge As High-Risk Subgroups” and July 3, 2006 “Early Drinking Linked to Higher Lifetime Alcoholism Risk“. See also Alcohol Alert No. 55: Alcohol and Minorities: An Update.)