Previous research on Latino populations has demonstrated the important influence of parental attitudes and behaviors on the substance use behaviors of their children. The current study employed a pre-experimental pretest-posttest group design to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally specific substance abuse family intervention program for 49 Latino families who were randomly selected from a group of at-risk children identified by community agencies. The intervention included family camps and family support groups; participants completed various assessment instruments at intake and 1 year following program completion measuring knowledge of drugs and drug abuse and family functioning. Results of statistical analyses revealed that the intervention improved parental knowledge of drugs and drug abuse but the findings on family functioning variables were inconclusive. The results demonstrate that a culturally competent approach to substance abuse intervention can improve the knowledge of Latino parents. Tables, references