Abstinence from alcohol and protection from AUDs has also been associated with religious involvement (Miller, Davies, & Greenwald, 2000; Moreira-Almeida, Neto, & Koenig, 2006). Protective effects of religion may be mediated by the degree to which religion fosters restrictive social norms that differentiate from the more liberal attitudes regarding alcohol consumption in the general culture (Haber & Jacob, 2007; 2009). Because religious proscriptions, rather than personal choice, may determine drinking behaviors among religious individuals, religious upbringing has been proposed as a moderator of genetic influences on alcohol initiation and alcohol consumption among adolescents.
