title: Survey on alcohol and medicine abuse among adolescents at four schools in Greater Buenos Aires.
abstract: The use of alcohol and prescription drugs acquired without a prescription among adolescents has become an increasing problem at departments of toxicology. The "jarra loca" is a mix of alcoholic beverages and medicines abused by teens. In the past years, in addition to psychotropic drugs, adolescents have also added hypoglycemic drugs to the mix, which may cause neurological sequelae or even death, depending on the dose used and the duration of hypoglycemia.
  
  
  
  To estimate the prevalence of alcohol and medicine use among 12 to 18 year-old adolescents attending four schools in the district of Tres de Febrero, province of Buenos Aires.
  
  
  
  Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. A survey on alcohol and medicine use was self-administered by 12 to 18 year-old adolescents from four schools in the province of Buenos Aires. During workshops, knowledge and experience were exchanged with students and info graphic material was provided.
  
  
  
  Nine hundred and seventy-seven surveys were completed. Of all surveyed students, 49% indicated that they have alcoholic beverages while out with their friends; 8% (n= 78) admitted drinking the "jarra loca" while 49% stated that their friends did. Twenty-one students required medical care at least once following alcohol consumption, and seventeen of them had drunk the "jarra loca." Fifty-five percent of students did not know what medicines are mixed in the "jarra loca" Forty-eight percent of parents discourage alcohol consumption.
  
  
  
  Forty-nine percent of students indicated that they have alcoholic beverages. In our study, 8% of surveyed students had consumed or tried the "jarra loca" once, although 49% referred that they friends did.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Toxicología, Centro Nacional de Intoxicaciones.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cabrerizo
authors.affiliation: Sección Medicina Basada en la Evidencia, Departamento Materno-infantil, Hospital Nacional Prof. Alejandro Posadas.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.affiliation: Unidad Pediátrica Ambiental, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Nacional Prof. Alejandro Posadas.
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Lutz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014504:Urban Health