Book excerpt: This report summarizes a national survey of drug use and related attitudes among American secondary school students. All of its data came from an ongoing national research and reporting program entitled, "Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles and Values of Youth." These surveys address two major topics: (1) the prevalence of drug use among American students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades; and (2) drug use trends by those students. Distinctions were drawn among demographic subgroups, incidence of first use recorded, trends in use at lower grade levels, and intensity of drug use. Also included were key attitudes about illicit drug use--incorporating perceptions of the social environment--as potential explanatory factors. The research focused on frequent drug use rather than analyzing everyone who has ever used drugs. This strategy serves to differentiate levels of seriousness, or extent, of drug involvement. Survey results indicate that the last decade witnessed an appreciable decrease in the use of numerous illicit drugs among seniors. However, eighth-graders exhibited a significant increase in some drug use, such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD. This latter evidence may indicate that younger cohorts have less opportunity to learn though informal means about the dangers of drugs. Two appendixes present the prevalence and trend estimates adjusted for absentees and dropouts, and definitions of background and demographic subgroups. (RJM)