Alcohol and tobacco use in Colombian youth: psychosocial risk and protection factors

This paper analyzes the use of legal drugs in 763 Colombian college students and the psychosocial factors related to it. The Risk and protective factors for drug use questionnaire was used in this study. It was found that alcohol and tobacco were the most frequently consumed drugs, with an age of initiation between 12 and 17. The relation between alcohol and tobacco is 2:1, being higher in women. The consumption is associated with the psychosocial factors evaluated (alcohol χ2=16,54, p=0,000; tobacco χ2=39,07, p=0,000). Psychological factors work in protective levels for youth who do not use alcohol or tobacco or for those who have ceased their usage, and social factors play a role in tobacco use. Specifically, the risk or protective relation of the factors: disruptive behaviors, beliefs and valuation of PAS, psychological disturbances, coping strategies, self-control abilities, spirituality, relation with consumers and interpersonal relations, with consume is presented. These aspects could be targets of legal and illegal drug abuse prevention interventions in youth, aimed at reducing its personal, social and economic impact.