Substance use among students attending a christian university that strictly prohibits the use of substances

This study examines substance use at a church-affiliated university which prohibits the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drug substances. The purpose was to investigate the prevalence of substance use, the prevention efforts put forth by the university, and whether religious beliefs, which prohibit substance use, are protective. While the findings indicate that alcohol, tobacco and other drugs were used in varying degrees by this student sample, the overall use was significantly lower relative to a national comparison group. The data suggests that religion is a protective factor concerning substance use. However, since students use substances even at church-affiliated campuses with prohibitive substance use beliefs, the problem of how to deal with substance use remains. © 2004, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.