BACKGROUND Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance-use disorders often co-occur. OBJECTIVE Aim of this study was to look at the family loading of ADHD (in adults and children) in patients with alcohol-dependence syndrome (ADS) along with the estimation of morbidity risk (MR) for developing ADHD. METHODS Thirty-five male patients with ADS along with their 369 first-degree relatives (FDRs) - both children and adults - were recruited. RESULTS ADHD and residual ADD (ADDRT) were significantly more common in the early-onset (EO) ADS group and their FDR. In ADHD children, high MR (27.27%) for developing EO of ADS was noted. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study raise an avenue for research in the Indian population about the shared risk between ADS and ADHD.