The study found that American-Indian male youth believed that heredity played a more important role in their alcohol use than did Euroamerican male youth. American-Indian males also viewed fate as a more important influence on their alcohol use than did American-Indian female youth and Euroamerican female youth. American-Indian males also viewed environmental events, such as problems at home, as a less important influence on their alcohol use compared to Euroamerican males and females and American-Indian females. Euroamerican female youth viewed distressing events as more responsible for their alcohol use than did the American-Indian females and Euroamerican males. Euroamerican females also considered themselves as more responsible for their alcohol use than did the American-Indian females and males and Euroamerican males. Another major finding was the amount of alcohol use reported by the American-Indian 11th graders. They reported significantly more alcohol use than the three other groups (American-Indian 9th graders and Euroamerican 9th and 11th graders). Fifty percent of the American-Indian 11th graders reported weekly or daily use of alcohol. Although causality cannot be inferred from these findings, prevention and early intervention programs should take into account why adolescents believe they use alcohol, particularly when they may be able to control some of the factors they cite. Of the 106 high school freshmen involved in the study, 53 were American Indian (25 females and 28 males), and 53 were Euroamerican (28 females and 25 males). Of the 106 high school juniors in the study, 53 were American Indian (19 females and 34 males), and 53 were Euroamerican (28 females and 25 males). All participants were administered Beckman's rating scale for antecedents of alcohol use. 2 tables, 20 references, and 1 note