Alcohol use among black youths in a rural community

The results of this study lead to the conclusion that the circumstances which surround the act of youth drinking in the black population of an abstinence setting are somewhat different from those recorded elsewhere. Although fewer students drink, the drinking styles reveal several dimensions frequently associated with alcohol abuse. As a rule, users do not have parental permission to drink and for the most part they identify with churches that condemn alcohol on moral grounds. Because many of the youth procure their beverages from illegal sources or in an illegal way, they tend to drink in a surreptitious manner in a setting absent of restraint. Consequently, a significant number of youths were drinking without normal propriety and were exhibiting several social complications as a result. This suggests that less drinking can be expected in abstinence settings but, among those young people who drink, problems may be more frequent. This is logical since the user is at variance with the normative prescriptions of the community, church and home. Obviously, drinking under these conditions may actually be an expression of a general test of the limits of the adult world or a symbol of rejection of adult standards. Subsequently, the abuse of alcohol may decrease with maturity. Regardless of their meaning, however, the findings do point to a need for education about alcohol at the school level.