Findings revealed that drug and alcohol cases accounted for 14 percent of the juvenile delinquency cases handled by the juvenile courts in 1984. Juvenile courts handled 3 drug cases and 3 alcohol cases for every 1,000 youths ages 10 through 17 living in their jurisdictions. Large counties had higher rates of drug cases than did small counties, while small counties had higher rates of alcohol cases than did large counties. More than half the youth referred to juvenile court for a drug or alcohol offense had at least one prior referral to juvenile court. Alcohol cases were more likely than drug cases to be handled informally by the courts, and driving under the influence cases were more likely than other alcohol cases to be handled formally. Figures and 9 references