The basic premise was that identity concerns motivate individuals toward drug subcultural groups and that such groups help them resolve their identity problems. The study used a face- to-face interview format to administer a structured questionnaire to new clients (n=228) at publicly funded drug-abuse treatment programs in mid-Michigan. To be eligible for the study, a person had to self-report that a drug other than alcohol was his/her primary drug of choice. The sample consisted of a representative sample of white and black males and females. The data show that for many of the subjects drug-related identity change began in childhood and early adolescence with marginalizing experiences that helped create ego identity discomfort and a loss of control in defining an identity before drug use. Identification with a drug subculture offered alternative identities to resolve such predicaments. Additionally, the study found that identification with a drug subculture significantly reduced ego identity discomfort during drug use; this substantiates the claim that subcultures can act as solutions to individual problems and predicaments. 2 figures, 6 tables, 13 notes, and 69 references