The Chicano intravenous drug users who were interviewed pointed out three essential aspects of their drug culture: their self-classification system, the language they create and use among themselves, and the ways in which representatives of helping agencies including drug treatment centers and law enforcement actually hinder drug addicts by perpetuating their deviance. A case study of the Indigenous Leader Outreach to IV Drug Abusers program illustrates how ethnographic data can be used to influence behavioral change among intravenous drug users who are at high risk of contracting AIDS. 9 references