Epidemiological data show that alcohol, tobacco, and the use of illegal drugs is appreciable among African-Americans; and African-Americans sustain a disproportionately greater range and level of consequences associated with substance abuse. Little information is available, however, about the extent to which these epidemiological sources represent use, abuse, or dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs among African-Americans. Thus, it is necessary to commit an adequate level of resources to determine the extent to which currently used national surveys accurately show the magnitude of alcohol and illicit drug use, abuse, and dependence in African-American communities. It is just as important to assess the utility of epidemiological techniques in gathering the same types of data across various racial and ethnic populations. It is also crucial to conduct secondary analyses to separate race/ethnicity from markers of poverty and chronic economic underdevelopment. Further, there is a need for better understanding of the relationships between African-American substance abuse and the medical, social, and economic consequences of substance abuse. 52 references