Clinical-Genetic Variation in GABA/Alcohol Sensitivity (GABA-Alcohol)

Inclusion Criteria:

• The subject is male or female with at least one Hispanic birth parent of Mexican ancestry, 21-25 years of age, and able to read the English-language consent form.
• The subject self-reports current use of 3-30 standard drinks
• The subject is in good physical health as determined by history, physical and laboratory studies of hematology and chemistry
• The subject has a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 20-28
• The subject is not concurrently using psychoactive medication or illicit drugs
• If subject is female, she is not pregnant (determined by weekly urine pregnancy screens), is practicing barrier or chemical methods of birth control, and not nursing babies

Exclusion Criteria:

• The subject meets DSM-IV criteria for any lifetime history of alcohol dependence, or dependence or abuse on any other drug in the past two years excepting tobacco dependence
• The subject currently meets DSM-IV for any other psychiatric (Axis I) disorder, excepting tobacco dependence
• The subject cannot consistently provide alcohol-free breath samples and drug-free urine samples
• The subject uses > 20 cigarettes per day or > 500 mg caffeine per day
• The subject's physical exam, lab tests, and medical histories indicate medical illness requiring treatment or interacting with the alcohol or benzodiazepine treatments
• The subject has a sleep apnea or narrow angle-glaucoma (contraindications for benzodiazepines)
• The subject reports extreme hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to benzodiazepines or unusual hypersensitivity to multiple medications
• The subject is unwilling or unable to consent to all experimental procedures including confidential family history interviews and genetic testing specified by the protocol