Television consistently represented a primary source of drug information for adolescents studied. The younger respondents indicated that they received more information from conventional sources such as parents, teachers, doctors, police, and television while the older respondents tended to rely on friends. Adolescents were less likely to receive drug-related information from experience, siblings, church, doctors, and police. The amount of information males reported receiving about each drug category was significantly greater than what females reported. Mass media approaches to drug education are likely to be as effective in rural areas and smaller towns as they are among urban adolescents. As a result of these findings, a systematic analysis of drug-related TV advertisements and programs is needed. 5 tables and 12 references (Author abstract modified)