This paper describes the successful use of student focus groups by the University of Wisconsin--Whitewater Student Health Center to assess marketing strategies for alcohol abuse prevention. The focus group is a group of 13 students who met several times with a facilitator to share perceptions, feelings, and attitudes about alcohol abuse prevention. It is noted that group members reviewed pamphlets, posters, advertisements, slogans, films, and videos. Examples are included of which verbal, written, and visual approaches were most appealing to them. Four ideas for alcohol abuse prevention recommended by the focus group as being potentially effective with college students are presented: (1) using graphic portrayals of the results of a drunk driving accident; (2) emphasizing the importance of protecting a friend; (3) advertising the costs of alcohol abuse; and (4) showing how to have fun without alcohol or that drinking moderately was acceptable. It is concluded that the use of focus groups demonstrates to students the importance of their opinions, that the focus group is a proven marketing tool, and that focus groups provide an easy and inexpensive way to gather important information on the feelings and attitudes of college students. (Author/NB)