The panel discusses the importance of designing anti-drug coalition strategies that take into account the diverse cultural and environmental characteristics of the communities being served. This is necessary in order that the protective factors and risk factors related to drug abuse in particular communities be sensitively and accurately assessed. Further, interactions between coalition representatives and community leaders and residents must be sensitive to the values, beliefs, and attitudes that bear upon an effective strategy for addressing a community's drug problem. The panel advises that ways of ensuring attention to diversity in coalition approaches to different communities is to acquire data and information on the community to be served by obtaining and analyzing both official data and a needs and attitudinal survey of residents. Further, representatives of the community should be involved in planning and implementing the anti-drug strategy for their community. This helps to ensure that persons familiar with the characteristics and needs of the community have a voice in the methods used to reach residents with an effective anti-drug message and activities. In addition, the panel suggests that evaluations of program effectiveness include assessments of the program's sensitivity and attention to the particular risk and protective factors that characterize the target community.