Associations between substance use variables and suicidal behavior were analyzed in an urban population sample from ("the Women and Alcohol in Gothenburg" study). In Phase I, 20-year-old women (n = 2,069) completed a screening questionnaire. Interviews were carried out with a stratified sample (n = 560). Data, collected in 1995 and 2000, were analyzed using logistic regression to generate odds ratios. Drug use, but not risky alcohol consumption, was associated with suicidal thoughts after adjusting for current depression. Study limitations and implications for suicide prevention are discussed. The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Alcohol Research Council of Sweden.