Alcohol. Teens. Religion. What's The Connection?

It is often assumed that teens who are religious and participate in religious activities use alcohol less often (if at all) than kids who are not religious and don’t participate in activates associated with religious affiliations. Research often shows that these assumptions are right, teens who are associated with religion are less likely to drink than teens who are not. But what about teens who are not religious but still participate in activities sponsored by churches or religious organizations? When teens are invited to participate in secular activities that are sponsored by churches such as volleyball, homework groups, volunteering, etc., does that minor interaction have an impact on their views or attitudes towards drinking?

Research shows that religiosity is associated with reduced risk for substance abuse for teens since most major religions discourage participation in acts that are immoral or illegal. Interaction with others of the same faith helps to establish social norms against substance abuse. Studies have also proven that teens that participate in extracurricular activities see positive outcomes in school settings. But the research is unclear when it comes to extracurricular activities and substance abuse. Some studies have shown that there is a positive relationship between sports and alcohol use.

A study was conducted to examine the influence of hours spent in secular activities (sports, games, etc.) that are supported by religious groups on alcohol use in teens. A telephone survey was conducted on 3290 American youth where they self-reported factors such as age, extracurricular activities, and time spent in activities associated with religion. A second survey was conducted three years later and of the first participants a total of 2530 completed the second survey. In the latter, the teens were asked questions in regards to how much alcohol they drank. The results showed that hours spent in secular programs supported by religious associations are associated with lower levels of reported alcohol use. Through this study results also showed that secular activities that were not associated with religion were positively associated with alcohol use.

The findings of this study show that even minor interactions with religion can have an impact on a teen’s life. Each time a teen invites a friend to church with them it does not have to be to a bible study or small group in order to share the gospel with them and lead them to Christ. Fun activities such as games and concerts can impact their friends in small ways that may not seem relevant at the time.

One weakness in the study was that, on average, the teens spent about less that one hour week in activities supported by religious associations as opposed to almost seven hours a week in other secular activities. The measure of hours spent in the religious programs were not ideal. Another weakness of the study was that through the use of a telephone survey, there was a lot of room for misinterpretation of the difference between religious and secular activities. Self- reporting also presents some issues as the teens may not have calculated the number of hours correctly or they could not be telling the truth about their alcohol use. 

Amy, A. (2012). Extracurricular activities and teens' alcohol use: The role of religious and secular sponsorship. Social Science Research, 41(2), 412-424. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.11
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