To evaluate the effectiveness of telephone crisis lines in reaching adolescents at risk for suicide, questionnaires were administered to 1,000 tenth grade students in a medium-sized southeastern city. A total of 837 questionnaires were completed. Questions concerned psychosocial background, symptoms of depression, suicide awareness, and attitudes toward crisis lines. Of the 11.6% of students who reported having attempted suicide, 41% said they would call a crisis line service for help. In comparison, 37.3% of students without a history of suicide attempt said they would use this service. While a majority of respondents said they would not call a crisis line service, a significant percentage of students (56.9%) reported that they would first confide their suicidal intentions to a friend. The most common reasons students gave for not calling a crisis line was that they did not want to talk to a stranger. In addition, there was a general lack of knowledge about the existence of the crisis line service, its purpose, confidentiality of calls, and policies concerning the use of tracing procedures. These findings support the need for a school-based suicide education and prevention program that could both publicize the crisis line service and teach adolescents how to help a suicidal friend. (NB)