The long- and short-term effects of marriage on drinking

Descriptive and multiple regression analyses of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), a longitudinal survey conducted annually since 1979, offer support for the many studies that demonstrate a relationship between marital status and alcohol consumption. Race, gender, history of heavy drinking, and alcoholic relatives were additional key variables utilized in the analysis. Data from this ongoing survey indicate that long-term marriage is associated with decreased drinking, except among women with a history of heavy drinking. Separation and divorce are not associated with long-term effects on current drinking. Divorce is associated with decreased drinking, at least in the short term, for men and women with a family history of alcoholism.