Drug problems involve a variety of substances that are both legal and illegal, including alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Data on the extent of the problem show that alcohol and tobacco problems should be given a high priority in any campaign to combat drug use in our society and that prevention and educational efforts as well as treatment programs should be given a high priority. However, the current government's 'War on Drugs' is severely flawed, because it focuses mainly on illicit drugs, ignores environmental factors, and uses inadequate and poorly planned educational programs and mass media campaigns. In addition, it inadequately addresses specialized treatment and recovery needs and provides insufficient funding for research and evaluation. The American Public Health Association (APHA) Section on Alcohol and Drugs urges APHA to endorse the following priorities for addressing the problems of substance abuse: 1) a high priority to tobacco and alcohol problems; 2) attention to environmental as well as individual factors; 3) high priority to prevention, treatment, and recovery; and 4) high priority to evaluation and research. 42 references.