Drinking During the Week? Alcohol Use and Religion among College Students

Alcohol use among college students has been correlated with academic performance, major choice, and risky behaviors, such as impaired driving and high-risk sexual encounters. As college students matriculate, they learn to make decisions about who they are now, and who they will become in the future; decisions that include choices about religion. The study explored the differences in religious self-identification and alcohol use among students who identified themselves as unsure of their religious beliefs, those who were spiritual, and those who were religious; results found that students who self-identified as religious were less likely to drink alcohol within the past month.