Part 1 of the manual explains why such a needs assessment is required. It advises that a comprehensive view of the impact of alcohol and other drug abuse on a community is useful to raise community awareness of the problem based on reliable data and is necessary before the prevention program can be designed to meet particular aspects of the problem. The method of information gathering described in the manual relies solely on data which already exist in the community. Part 2 presents the steps for the assembly of a package of drug-abuse-impact indicators. The steps are to "brainstorm" a list of possible indicators, add to the list based upon further analysis, find available data, screen indicators according to availability, look for regional and national comparisons, reconsider the list, identify the best indicators, and choose the best approximations. Each of these steps is accompanied by an illustration from the Regional Drug Initiative in Portland, Ore. Part 3 suggests guidelines for using the information obtained. A 12-item reading list and appended supplementary data from the Regional Drug Initiative