National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

People of all ages who attend religious services and who consider religious beliefs important are less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, according to a study summarized in the following viewpoint. Conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York City, the study analyzed research from a variety of sources and concluded that spiritual faith is an important element in substance-abuse treatment. These results, CASA maintains, should encourage cooperation among the clergy, the medical community, and treatment providers to provide faith-based programs for patients struggling with addiction.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the authors of the CASA study, what percentage of clergy members recognized substance abuse as an important issue among family members...