title: Prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and psychotropic drug use among medical students at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and psychotropic drug consumption by students of the Medical School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to verify aspects related to those addictions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out with students of all years of the medical course invited to participate anonymously, by answering a self-applied questionnaire which was previously evaluated and adapted to Brazilian reality. It was based upon the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Student Substance Use Survey and included 25 questions about drug addiction. Student's t test and chi-square test were applied to assess differences between the mean and proportions of data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol and tobacco were the more frequently used by the students, 85.2% and 16.3% respectively. Among psychotropic drugs, marijuana was reported by 16.5% of students, LSD by 6.9%, sedatives by 12%, amphetamines by 7.5% and inhalant substances by 16.8%. Cocaine, crack, opiates, anticholinergics and anabolics consumption were rarely mentioned.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol was the drug most used and was related to other drug addictions. Drugs were most frequently used by single, male students, who live alone and do not support themselves.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petroianu
authors.forename: Daniel Cruz Ferreira dos
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Breno Dayrell Silva
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Davi Machado de
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012577:Schools, Medical; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs