THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE SELECTION FOR AND COMPOSITION OF THE MULTISTAGE AREA PROBABILITY SAMPLE OF HOUSEHOLDS IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES FOR PURPOSES OF SURVEYING 11 TO 17 YEAR-OLD YOUTH. THE SAMPLING PROCEDURE, ENSURING STRATIFICATION OF THE SAMPLE BASED ON (1) URBAN/RURAL CHARACTERISTICS, (2) GENERAL SIZE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS, (3) GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, AND (4) ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION, RESULTED IN THE LISTING OF 67,266 HOUSEHOLDS. FROM THIS FIGURE, APPROXIMATELY 8,000 HOUSEHOLDS WERE SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE SAMPLE, BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS OF A 7 PERCENT VACANT HOUSEHOLD RATE, A 75 PERCENT COMPLETION RATE OF OCCUPIED HOUSEHOLDS, AND AN AVERAGE OF 0.38 11 TO 17 YEAR-OLD YOUTHS PER HOUSEHOLD. THE AGE, SEX AND ETHNICITY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE YOUTH SAMPLE COMPARE WITH CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES. OF THE YOUTH NOT INTERVIEWED (DUE TO PARENTAL REFUSAL, YOUTH REFUSAL, OR JUDGED INAPPROPRIATENESS FOR INTERVIEW), THE LOSS RATE FROM ANY PARTICULAR GROUP APPEARS, IN GENERAL, TO BE PROPORTIONAL TO THAT GROUP'S REPRESENTATION IN THE POPULATION. TABLES INCLUDE DATA ON COMPLETION RATES AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ELIGIBLE YOUTH. FOOTNOTES ARE PRESENTED.