Alcohol and drugs are part of American society. Most young people are introduced to alcohol and drugs in the home setting by the parent population for societally acceptable reasons. Additional factors affect alcohol and drug use as young people develop. Thus, drinking outside the home and experimenting with other substances has become part of the adolescent experience for a majority of youth. Society has generally supported alcohol and drug education programs. A variety of different types of programs have grown. However, they often have lacked a philosophical base and supportive policy statements, Unfortunately, many also have not stated goals and objectives. Others have stated goals that are counter to adolescent reality and therefore impossible to attain. The content and methodology are uneven. In addition, program evaluation has not demonstrated high success rates. Fortunately, realistic evaluation components have been included in some of the model educational programs. However, ongoing research efforts are necessary to establish alcohol and drug prevention as a national priority. 37 references