In the course of dealing with these issues, the author also assesses the degree to which drug use, risk factors, and program effectiveness vary across different racial/ethnic groups. The paper reports that among adolescents, alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana are the main drugs of choice. Both males and females exhibit high rates of alcohol and cigarette use, and equal proportions of both groups have tried these substances by grade 12. African-American and Asian adolescents generally have lower prevalence and incidence rates for drugs of all kinds compared with Native Americans, whites, and Hispanics. National data thus indicate that prevention programs for children and adolescents should give the most attention to alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and inhalants, the most widely used substances among adolescents. The author concludes that no single drug prevention program is likely to be equally effective in addressing the multiple influences on drug use. Instead, programs must be sensitive to developmental changes in a child's vulnerability, targeting family and school bonds during elementary school or earlier, more proximal influences such as peer pressure, and normative beliefs during the shift to adolescence. The development of different prevention programs for various racial/ethnic groups appears to be premature. 2 figures and 176 references