This article describes agreement with tenets associated with the disease concept of alcoholism among whites, blacks and Hispanics in the U.S. population. Data were obtained from a multistage probability sample of the household population of white, black and Hispanic adults aged 18 years and over residing in the 48 contiguous states. The response rate was 73% for whites, 76% for blacks and 72% for Hispanics. Results show a widespread support for the notion that alcoholism is a disease, independent of ethnicity. However, 40% of the whites, 62% of the blacks and 60% of the Hispanics who agree that alcoholism is an illness also agree that the alcoholic is a morally weak individual.