Psychoactive Substance Consumption in Recreational Settings among University Students in Colombia

The consumption of psychoactive substances (PAS) is a public health problem in Colombia andworldwide. The people who consume such substances are becoming younger, and their effectsare potentially harmful and may affect all areas of adjustment of the individual. Although it hasbeen conceived that way, the use of PAS is not always associated with personal problems or highdegrees of stress. There may be other motivations associated. Objective: The objectives of thisarticle are to present: (a) the relative frequency of consumption of PAS among college students,(b) which are the PAS consumed most by college students and differences in their consumptionby sex and by age, (3) the relationship between the consumption of PAS and contexts of diversion.Materials and methods: This is a descriptive correlational study derived from an Italian researchproject, in which the sample were 226 college students from four undergraduate programs ofa private university in Bogotá DC, selected using a stratified random sampling procedure withproportional allocation. Participants filled out a questionnaire. Results: The PAS with the highestconsumption were alcohol, nicotine and marijuana. Males predominantly showed an increasedconsumption. The results are consistent with the national trend. Conclusion: The consumptionof SPA among college students is high and some recreational contexts are closely associated withthis behaviour.