NO SINGLE, COMPREHENSIVE DATA EXIST WHICH DESCRIBES THE EXTENT OR CHARACTER OF DRUG ABUSE IN RURAL AMERICA. THE FUNDAMENTALLY DISSIMILAR WORKS FROM WHICH INFORMATION IS DRAWN INCLUDE STATE AND LOCAL RESEARCH, INCIDENTAL SURVEY DATA, SPECIFIC SUBPOPULATION COMPARISONS, PATIENT-CLIENT DATA, AND NON-AMERICAN DATA SETS. THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS, HOWEVER, ARE MORE WELL ESTABLISHED THAN OTHERS: (1) WITH ONE CATEGORICAL EXCEPTION, URBAN ADOLESCENTS USE DRUGS MORE FREQUENTLY THAN DO RURAL ADOLESCENTS; (2) RURAL ADOLESCENT USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HOARD THEIR DRUGS; (3) DRUG USE PEAKS IN THE 11TH GRADE FOR RURAL USERS, THEN DECLINES; AND (4) RURAL ADOLESCENT SUBCULTURES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM SIMILAR URBAN STRUCTURES, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO CONSEQUENT DELINQUENT ACTIVITY. IN ADDITION, MARIJUANA AND BARBITURATES ARE THE PRIMARY DRUGS USED BY THE RURAL ABUSER, AS OPPOSED TO OPIATES FOR URBAN GROUPS. ALTHOUGH THE RURAL DRUG ABUSER IS CONSIDERABLY LESS LIKELY TO MANIFEST ADDICTIVE SYMPTOMS, THE LIKELIHOOD OF MARKED PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OR DISTURBANCE IS GREATER. RESEARCH IS URGENTLY NEEDED TO PROVIDE BASELINE DATA FOR RURAL AMERICA (I.E., A NATIONAL SURVEY OF RURAL DRUG ABUSE). IN ADDITION, INFORMAL TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES, THE SOCIALIZING FUNCTION OF RURAL SCHOOLS, AND THE STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL DRUG-BASED SUBCULTURES SHOULD BE EVALUATED. PROGRAM PROBLEM AREAS WHICH MUST BE OVERCOME INCLUDE LACK OF ACCEPTANCE FROM THE GENERAL RURAL COMMUNITY AND AGENCIES, INSUFFICIENT FUNDING, AND LACK OF EXPERIENCED STAFF. REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES INCLUDED.