Since adoption by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the program has become one of the most widely known alcohol education or prevention programs in the nation. In 1982, the program was adopted by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). On the basis of the most recent replication of the HLAY during the spring semester 1987 and on the basis of the CMS systemwide student drug survey in 1986, the program has been evaluated for knowledge gain; general attitude about alcohol; intentions about future alcohol use; and the actual drinking behavior. On a short-term basis, there has been a knowledge gain about alcohol and alcoholism on the part of the HLAY recipients between the pre- and post-tests of the Alcohol Education Evaluation Instrument (AEEI). However, this gain in the HLAY group was less than the knowledge gain observed among control group student. In comparison with students in the control group, there has been a positive attitudinal net gain among the HLAY recipients along the undifferentiated-primitive attitude about alcohol; however, the HLAY was not able to impact upon the reward-associated attitude, health-related attitude, intentions about future alcohol use, and actual drinking behavior. On a long-term basis, the actual alcohol drinking pattern of the HLAY recipients was indistinguishable from those students who had not been exposed to the program. (Author abstract modified)