Abstract
An anonymous questionnaire was administered to more than 1,200 seventh to 12th grade students in four rural public schools in western New York State. The questionnaire measured alcohol use, the social contexts of drinking, and the personality trait known as "sensation seeking". A majority (57%) were drinkers, and discriminant function analyses were performed on their scores on these measures to determine if they could distinguish between different levels of alcohol use intensity, alcohol-impaired driving, and riding with an impaired driver. The results, as well as the implications of these findings for assessment as well as school-based prevention programs are discussed.