Chronic alcohol abuse leads to an increased incidence not only of heartburn but also of esophageal mucosal inflammation (i.e., esophagitis) and other injuries that may induce mucosal defects (i.e., esophagitis with or without erosions). In addition, alcoholics make up a significant proportion of patients with Barrett’s esophagus. This condition, which occurs in 10 to 20 percent of patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (Wienbeck and Berges 1985), is characterized by changes in the cell layer lining the esophagus (i.e., the epithelium) that lead to abnormal acid production. A diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus is an important indicator of an increased risk of esophageal cancer, because in some patients the altered epithelial cells become cancerous.