The term "stress" often is used to describe the subjective feeling of pressure or tension. However, when scientists refer to stress, they mean the many objective physiological processes that are initiated in response to a stressor. As this Alcohol Alert explains, the stress response is a complex process; the association between drinking and stress is more complicated still. Because both drinking behavior and an individual's response to stress are determined by multiple genetic and environmental factors (1-3), studying the link between alcohol consumption and stress may further our understanding of drinking behavior.