The authors explain that there is little knowledge concerning the prevalence of drug use among AAPIs, even though this group is the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. It is important to understand their patterns of behavior and drug use in order to implement effective drug prevention programs. The authors examined four recent large national surveys, the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey, the 1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health In-School and In-Home, in order to understand the etiology of drug use among this group of people. Numbers of AAPIs in these surveys ranged from 900 to more than 4,500. The results indicated that among all racial groups, drug abuse among AAPIs was the lowest. Among AAPIs, Japanese Americans and mixed-heritage persons demonstrated the highest levels of substance abuse. The authors show that racial and ethnic differences in the onset and prevalence of drug use indicates that more longitudinal research is needed to understand this disparity and to design effective drug prevention programs. Tables, references