Holding religious beliefs appears to provide additional protection, helping to identify those African Americans who are at reduced risk for alcohol or substance use (Brook & Pahl, 2005; Nasim et al., 2007; Stevens-Watkins & Rostosky, 2010; Zimmerman & Maton, 1992). For example, Belgrave and colleagues (1997) found that among at-risk African American youth from an inner city population, those with greater spiritual beliefs (i.e., attending religious services and discussing religion or spiritual topics within the home) reported less drug use than those with fewer spiritual beliefs. Moreover, religiosity has also been shown to buffer the impact negative life events have on heavy drinking behaviors among youth in seventh through tenth grade (Wills et al., 2003b). It has also been speculated that as African Americans reach their thirties and separate more from family and parental influences and the church, their tendency to consume alcohol increases (James & Johnson, 1996).
