[Addictive substance use among first-year university students].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze several factors and attitudes related to drug use among first-year Spanish university students, with special reference to tobacco.


METHODS
Descriptive study using voluntary and anonymous questionnaire.


METHODS
sex, age, family environment, tobacco, cannabis and alcohol use, attitudes in favour of or against smoking, perceived danger of drugs and perceptions of friends behaviour.


RESULTS
2445 students, 1014 (42%) men and 1431 (58%) women, mean age 19 years. Women in this study see smoking as appealing, believe it helps them stay slim and claim that it makes them feel good. Of the total sample (men and women), 16.5% use cannabis daily, occasionally or at weekends, while 10.4% state that their friends have tried or use other drugs.


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample women and men have different perceptions about tobacco. Level of tolerance and permissiveness with regard to alcohol contributes to the fact that young people perceive less risk in relation smoking. Starting smoking tobacco early may make the use of alcohol and other drugs more likely.
Jiménez-Muro Franco
Adriana
A
Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría. Unidad de Tabaquismo FMZ. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Zaragoza. Zaragoza. Spain. adrijmf@unizar.es
Beamonte San Agustín
Asunción
A
Marqueta
Adriana
A
Gargallo Valero
Pilar
P
Nerín de la Puerta
Isabel
I