Religion, Parental Influence, and Adolescent Alcohol and Marijuana Use

Abstract

This article reports and analyzes the results of surveys which indicate the extent to which parents' religiosity is related to the acquisition of religious and moral values by adolescents, and the extent to which parents' religious involvement is differentially related to marijuana and alcohol use by adolescents. The discussion focuses on two general propositions: First, the greater the extent of involvement in religious activities by both the child and his/her parents, the greater the likelihood that the youth will maintain religious beliefs which oppose the use of alcohol and marijuana. Second, to the extent that a child adheres to those beliefs the less likely he/she is to use these substances.