Dependence on injection drugs is a significant public health problem. Injection drug use accounts for nearly half of all annual HIV infections in the United States. Furthermore, dependence can serve as a measure of the need for drug treatment in any given community. The authors measured dependence among 226 males and females aged 15 to 30 who recently used alcohol, cocaine, crack, or heroin for the first time. Dependence was measured using DSM-IV criteria derived from questions on the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Statistical analysis was conducted to ascertain the degree to which dependence was correlated with sociodemographic characteristics as well as frequency of drug use. Results indicated that dependence among users of heroin, cocaine, crack, and alcohol was 91 percent, 42 percent, 37 percent, and 21 percent, respectively. The results indicated few associations between frequency of use and dependence. However, frequency of use of heroin did affect dependence, but only for males. Sociodeomgraphic data were also shown to have very little association with drug dependence. The finding of a high prevalence of dependence in this study underscores the need for accessible drug treatment programs for young injection drug users. Tables, figures, references