Results revealed that the two groups did not differ in actual drug use, probably because those who recommended students to the alternative education program used low grade point average and not drug use as the criterion. The drugs most used were readily available substances such as alcohol. The use of a drug, spending money on it, or believing that it is all right for adolescents to use the drug did not automatically indicate frequent use of the drug. Contrary to adults' expectations, spending a lot of time with peers decreased the use of soft drugs. For some youths, family activities involved the use of hard drugs together or the condoning of drug use. Findings indicate that to create effective drug prevention programs, the effects of different activities should be explored further, and admission criteria need to be well delineated. Tables and 4 references