This study was conducted in 1998 and was based on a sample of 4,364 adolescents mostly Mexican-American seventh graders residing in a large southwestern city of diverse acculturation statuses. School superintendents and principals were recruited to partner with the university-based team of researchers in conducting a drug abuse intervention research study. Although teachers participated in telling the students and parents that the study was aimed at understanding their opinions about drug use, the teachers were not present during the administering of the survey. Survey administrators made it clear verbally and in writing that the families had the right to participate or not to participate. University trained proctors administered a 45-minute written questionnaire, available on one form containing both English and Spanish versions. To ensure their anonymity, no student names or ID numbers were recorded on the questionnaires. Teachers and school administrators had no access to the original data, but were later presented with reports on aggregated student responses. The study found that although an association was found between ethnicity and ethnic identity and drug use, the pointed protective efforts of ethnicity and ethnic identity were not always clear among students included in this Southwest sample. The results support the idea that ethnicity and ethnic identity are factors in youth drug use rates and drug norms in the Southwest. However, the hypothesized protective effects of ethnicity and ethnic identity against drug use were confirmed for some groups of students but not for others. This research may be useful to inform existing or new approaches to prevention of drug use. Understanding the relationship between acculturation status and drug use is a critical remaining issue for further study. Tables, references