The differential demography of drug abuse strongly suggests that the environmental context influences the use and abuse of substances. In an era of great public concern about substance abuse, the use of individually focused perspectives appears to have resulted in person-centered skills training programs and 'say no' media campaigns. Consideration of community-level factors in the etiology of drug abuse permits the identification of high-risk schools and neighborhoods, enabling prevention specialists to target specific blocks, census tracts, and similar localities for more comprehensive intervention. 124 references (Publisher abstract)