In recent years the Army has been concerned about the widespread use of psychoactive drugs by all classes of young people and the effects of this use on the Army. In order to curb this use among soldiers the Army initiated a comprehensive program to prevent and control the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Prevention was considered to include education, law enforcement, and community action, but particularly education and training. The research reported in this paper assessed the effectiveness of education in preventing drug abuse in the Army units surveyed. A cross-sectional survey of 1,716 men on 16 posts, plus a separate evaluation at one post and group interviews, produced data that suggest that Army drug education programs appear to influence immediate drug use less than related demographic factors such as last civilian residence, age, or race. Civilian studies corroborate this finding. (Author)