Respondents comprised 67 percent of the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in their schools; almost all the children are white; and median family incomes for the communities in the study ranged from $12,798 to $32,469. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire adapted from Oetting et al. which has proven to have high reliability and discriminant validity. In the survey, alcohol use was defined as "having tried any form (beer, wine, liquor) one or more times." Results show that half (596) of the student respondents drank, but not regularly; 5 percent (59) were regular drinkers, and an additional 2 percent (19) were regular drinkers who had been drunk at least once. Reported alcohol use increased with both grade and age, and males drank more than females. The child's attitude toward drinking, perceived family attitudes toward drinking, the number of drinking friends, and self-perceived wrongdoing by the child were factors that related strongly to alcohol use. Increased alcohol use was also associated with experimental and current use of cigarettes, marijuana, and smokeless tobacco. Overall, the survey findings indicate that alcohol use by rural elementary school children is a serious problem. Appended questionnaire and composition of five score variables, 5 tables, and 45 references