STATISTICS PRESENTED ON INDICATORS OF DRUG ABUSE IN TEXAS IN THE 1970'S INCLUDE DATA ON DRUG ARRESTS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION DATA ON THE NUMBER OF DRUG THEFTS BY TYPE, THE NUMBER OF DRUG-RELATED DEATHS FROM THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, THE LEADING DRUGS OF ABUSE BY SELECTED EMERGENCY ROOM FACILITIES IN DALLAS AND SAN ANTONIO, AND THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS TO FEDERALLY FUNDED DRUG TREATMENT FACILITIES. SIGNIFICANT TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE BY DRUG TYPE, INCLUDING DEPRESSANTS, INHALANTS, MARIJUANA, NARCOTICS, AND OTHER DRUGS ARE IDENTIFIED. STATISTICS INDICATING THAT WOMEN, ETHNIC MINORITIES, AND YOUTH ARE POPULATION GROUPS AT GREATER RISK OF DRUG ABUSE ARE DISCUSSED. SPECIFIC POLICIES OF THE TDCA/DAPD FOR CURTAILMENT OF DRUG ABUSE ARE DESCRIBED IN THE SEVERAL FUNCTIONAL AREAS. THE STRATEGY OF THE TEXAS DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION DIVISION OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS (TDCA/DAPD) INCLUDES DISSUADING THE NONUSER FROM EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS, DETERRING THE OCCASIONAL USER OR EXPERIMENTER FROM PROGRESSING TO THE ABUSE OF DRUGS, MAKING TREATMENT AVAILABLE FOR ABUSERS OF DRUGS, AND HELPING THE FORMER ABUSER REGAIN HIS PLACE AS A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE PROVIDED.