The relationship of schizophrenia and alcoholism was examined by comparing 33 schizophrenic adoptees and 118 biological relatives with 33 control adoptees and 140 biological relatives. The 2 groups of adoptees were matched by sex, age, age at adoption, socioeconomic status and time spent with biological parents, in a children''s institution and with foster parents. One schizophrenic adoptee and 2 control adoptees were identified as alcoholics, and 3 relatives of the schizophrenics and 9 relatives of the controls; none of the relatives with alcoholism were diagnosed as schizophrenic. Schizophrenics apparently were no more at risk for alcoholism than the general population.