A representative sample of all high school students in Addis Abeba in the 1989/90 academic year was surveyed to estimate life-time prevalence & risk factors of suicide attempts. 14.3% of the adolescents reported having attempted suicide; 17.5% usually felt hopeless. Suicide attempts were strongly & linearly associated with hopelessness, grade, & heavy alcohol intake. No significant associations were observed between attempts & age, sex, family history of suicide or parental education level.