Affiliation with religions where drinking is prohibited (e.g., Baptist, Fundamentalist Protestant, Mormon) is related to less heavy drinking and/or abstinence, even in comparison to those denominations with more liberal views of alcohol use (e.g., Catholic, Jewish, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Lutheran) (Amoateng and Bahr, 1986; Clarke et al., 1990; Cochran et al., 1988). Further, having any religious beliefs has been linked to less alcohol use and abstinence (Bennett et al., 1999; Gorsuch, 1995; Greenfield et al., 2000; Miller, 1998). Interestingly, our post-hoc analyses indicate that among persons who did not attend AA, blacks were more likely than whites to report being religious. Further research needs to be conducted on the potential role of religiosity and social networks in relation to alcohol outcomes.
