Black Communities and Substance Abuse: A Genetic Predisposition to Alcoholism

By Aria Brent
AFRO Journalist
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Alcohol consumption is something that can be found in many parts of black history and culture. Whether it be Snoop Dogg’s 1994 hit “Gin and juice” or Billy Dee Williams’ infamous ads promoting Colt 45 Malt liqueur, the alcohol has become deeply ingrained in black culture, which has led to the normalization of its consumption.

From Juneteenth barbecues to graduation parties, weddings and even baby showers, some members of the black community associate the idea of ​​relaxation and enjoyment with alcohol.

“In my family, alcohol was very prevalent, and I associated it with fun. In black communities, we associate fun with alcohol. My family was no different—everyone drank,” says Donivan Stone, a recovery counselor at First Step Recovery Center in Columbus, Ohio. “Later in my life, drinking became like a marriage that I felt was made just for me.”

A series of studies and analyses conducted over the past 30 years have shown that black communities, like other minority communities, have proportionally higher rates of alcohol advertising. In 1998, the National Institute of Health reported that there were more alcohol and tobacco ads in black and Latino neighborhoods than in white and Asian neighborhoods. It found that 23 percent of billboards in black neighborhoods advertised alcohol, compared to 13 percent of alcohol-related billboards in white neighborhoods.

Despite social norms, cultural significance, and increased advertising in predominantly black areas, black people are less likely to consume and abuse alcohol than their white counterparts.

In November 2023, AlcoholRehabGuide.org reported that “African Americans drink less than their Caucasian counterparts. Historically, African Americans have consumed lower amounts of alcohol. Although alcohol consumption is lower compared to white Americans, African Americans have been victims of alcohol-related diseases.”

“We have lower rates of use than our Caucasian counterparts, but we have more negative consequences of alcohol use. We suffer more mental, physical and health problems due to alcohol use in the black community,” said Carol Stegall, senior advisor at Afrocenticentric Persona Development Shop in Columbus, Ohio. “Alcohol has a dramatic impact on the black community. Whether it’s health, socioeconomics, mental health, we’re affected more.”

Stegall has been dealing with substance abuse for over 20 years and has spent her career focusing on how it affects the black community. She explained that while black people are less likely to drink, the effects of drinking are much more severe for black people.

Stegall said that black people have an increased tendency to drink alcohol, which makes it that much more addictive for us. Stone expanded on Stegall’s thesis, noting that tendency leads to addiction

“When you have a higher genetic predisposition to alcohol, addiction is inevitable; you just don’t know when. Sometimes you can have 100 drinks and that genetic predisposition never kicks in — and then the 10th time it kicks in and the addiction comes back to life,” Stone said.

He further explained that addiction is not based on the amount of a substance consumed, but on the frequency of consumption. The substance abuse expert shared the difference between someone struggling with addiction and someone with a substance use disorder, noting that someone who has two drinks a day is addicted. On the other hand, someone who drinks a lot once a week is struggling with a substance use disorder.

Stone began drinking at a young age, first tasting alcohol at a family gathering. Over the years, he says, he struggled financially, went to prison and dealt with significant grief before finally achieving sobriety in 2010.

“The first time I drank was when I was 12 or 13, and it was at my grandmother’s house during a picnic. I had a sip of beer and it was disgusting, and I told myself I would never drink it again. The next time I drank anything was with my friends, and I got sick, and I swore I would never drink again,” Stone recalled. “I think that’s when the addiction kicked in, and I started liking alcohol a little bit. I thought it was something I could control, not knowing that it was already controlling me.”

Although Stone didn’t realize the severity of his addiction at the time, he later began to see it when he saw the effect it was having on those around him. Admitting that he had a hard time hiding his addiction, he believed that those around him were unaware of the growing problem. However, he, like many people struggling with substance abuse, was clearly taking a turn for the worse.

Like Stone, Cherron Hudson, a recovery counselor at First Step Recovery Center in Columbus, says she also started drinking at a young age.

“I started drinking when I was 12, but my dad was in denial. My aunt kind of knew — but it wasn’t until my freshman year of high school that my dad found out,” Hudson said. “I drank some MD 2020 at the bus stop one morning with my friends and went to my first period. I was in that period all day because I passed out. I got suspended for DUI, and that’s when my dad found out.”

Hudson said her father sent her to a youth recovery program after she was suspended from school. But that treatment turned out to be the first of many attempts at sobriety. For years, she lied and manipulated friends and family to keep their concerns about her alcoholism at bay, but her behavior became a major indicator of her growing addiction.

Like Stone, Hudson’s addiction was a secret only to herself. She was a functioning addict who was able to support her family, so she never considered herself an alcoholic. It wasn’t until she began neglecting her children and became homeless that she even began to suspect she had a problem.

“I didn’t think I had a problem. I was making good money and had nice things for myself and my kids. In 2006, I got divorced and that started it all,” Hudson said. “I started drinking really heavily and stopped taking care of my kids. I was leaving them with my parents, and I was homeless and sleeping on the couch. I was losing things, but I didn’t realize I was losing them.”

In August 2013, Hudson was in a car accident that served as a wake-up call to what was really going on in her life. She has spent the last 11 years sober, gaining a wealth of certifications and experience that have allowed her to help others overcome addiction.

All three experts explained that addiction can be overcome, and the first step is honesty. Both Stone and Hudson shared how important it is to be honest with yourself about any substance abuse issues you may be struggling with. However, Stegall noted that being honest about the behaviors of family members is just as important to knowing what genetic predispositions you may be dealing with.

“We need to be honest about the problems that are going on in our families. If we’re not honest about something that’s a problem, it’s never addressed as a problem, and that normalizes it,” Stegall exclaimed. “There’s no benefit to hiding the truth, especially since knowing what you’re genetically predisposed to is a huge part of avoiding addiction.”