The survey was part of a wider evaluation of two residential therapeutic communities. Variables Pre-admission characteristics (including information about age, sex, social class, previous drug and alcohol use, school history and educational attainment, criminality, employment and medical history) of the residents were collected from records or by interview. The first 100 residents from each community were followed up and 169 subjects were interviewed. Questions asked of former residents covered the period since they had left the community and their circumstances at the time of interview. (Some were still resident at follow-up). Topics covered included drug use, alcohol use, criminal activity and penal history, employment and income, accomodation, friends, family, other therapies, and attitude towards the communities.