The use of drugs and medical students: a literature review

INTRODUCTION: The consumption and abuse of alcohol and other drugs are increasingly present in the lives of university students and may already be considered a public health problem because of the direct impacts on the physical and mental health of these individuals. The requirements of the medical program play a vital role in the increasing rate of drug users. OBJECTIVES: To carry out a systematic review of the literature on the use of drugs, licit or not, in Brazilian medical students. METHODS: A descriptive-exploratory study, in which the SciELO and MEDLINE databases were used. A total of 99 articles were found, of which 16 were selected for this review. RESULTS: Alcohol and tobacco were the most frequently used licit drugs among medical students. The most consumed illicit drugs were marijuana, solvents, "lança-perfume" (ether spray), and anxiolytics. The male genre presented a tendency of consuming more significant amounts of all kinds of drugs, with the exception of tranquilizers. It was found an increasing prevalence of drug consumption in medical students, as the program progressed, which may result from the intrinsic stress from medical school activities. Students who do not use psychoactive drugs are more likely to live with their parents, to disapprove drugs consumption, to practice religious beliefs and to be employed. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of licit and illicit drug use among medical students is high, even though they understand the injuries it may cause.