Survey findings show that from the late 1970's to the early 1990's, there were appreciable declines in the use of a number of the illicit drugs among seniors and even larger declines in their use among American college students and young adults. In 1992 a number of alarm bells sounded; although seniors continued to show improvement on a number of measures in 1992, the college students and young adult did not. Further, the attitudes and beliefs of seniors regarding drug use began to soften. In 1993, 1994, and again in 1995, still more alarm bells sounded. Eighth graders continued to show an increase in their use of a number of drugs, and the tenth graders and twelfth graders joined them. Increases occurred in a number of the so-called "gateway" drugs, i.e., marijuana, cigarettes, and inhalants. Thus, despite the improvements between 1979 and 1991, this Nation's secondary school students and young adults show a level of involvement with illicit drugs that is greater than has been documented in any other industrialized nation in the world. Heavy drinking also remains widespread and troublesome, and the continuing initiation of a large and growing proportion of youth to cigarette smoking is a public health concern. 27 tables and 48 figures