The extent to which households use, store, and dispose of hazardous materials has become a matter of increasing concern but has been rarely assessed. This report provides an assessment of the first household hazardous materials publicity campaign and collection event held in Illinois. The report describes survey results concerning the state of public awareness, use, and disposal of household hazardous materials prior to and immediately after the publicity campaign in Champaign County. Comparisons with the city of Decatur are included. On public policy issues, overwhelming majorities in each community expressed support for various types of special household hazardous waste collection programs. The collection event was very successful in extending basic awareness and in reaching households with unwanted hazardous waste. The event drew only 0.7 percent of the city households but collected 7 percent of the quantity of hazardous waste improperly disposed of each year. The surveys also indicated a need for an educational program to reduce the production of hazardous waste by households. To fund these programs, the public favored either a special sales tax on hazardous materials or a surcharge on solid waste disposal in landfills. (Author/CW)