This paper reports feedback from 349 fifth through eighth graders who participated in Say It Straight (SIS), a school-based drug abuse prevention program which combines assertiveness training with role playing and guided imagery. The feedback presented concerns students' feelings about sending and receiving messages using the following communication styles: passive/placating, aggressive/blaming, super-reasonable, irrelevant, and assertive/leveling. For each style, a role-played conversation is given, followed by students' reports of feelings about playing that role. Student reponses are presented by grade. Another aspect of SIS, positive peer pressure, is described as an intervention with a friend who is using drugs in which assertive/leveling communication is used to convince that friend to seek help. An example of a positive peer pressure role play is given and student attitudes toward the situation are reported. The results reported in this paper underscore the importance of empathy training for young people and indicate that assertive/leveling communication is the style most frequently associated with high self-esteem, repect from others, and greatest effectiveness. (NRB)