Illicit drug use among students of a university in Southern Brazil.
OBJECTIVE To describe drug consumption and the co-occurrence use of more than one illegal drug as well as associated factors in freshmen at a public university in Southern Brazil. METHODS Cross-sectional study with census of students entering undergraduate courses in 2017. A total of 1,788 university students answered questions about illicit drug use. For analysis, ordinal logistic regression was used. RESULTS Marijuana was the most consumed drug (lifetime 42.1% 30-day use 22.7%), followed by hallucinogens (lifetime 13.1%, 30-day use 2.8%). Rates for lifetime use of 0, 1 and 2 or more drugs were 56.2%, 23.3% and 20.4%, respectively, and were associated with men (OR 2.2 95%CI1.4-3.5), being at least 23 years old (OR 2.7 95%CI 1.4-5.1), under 18 years old first experimentation with drugs (OR 2.3 95%CI 1.3-3.9) and living with friends (OR 2.0 95%CI 1.2-3.4). Rates for 30-day use of 0, 1 and 2 or more drugs were 76.8% 18.1% and 5.1%, respectively, and were associated with being single, separated or widowed (OR 3.2 95%CI 1.4-7.0), lower socioeconomic classes (OR 0.3 95%CI 0.1-1.1 p 0.001), under 18 years old first experimentation with drugs (OR 1.8 95%CI 1.1-2.9) and living with friends (OR 1.8 95%CI 1.2-2.8). CONCLUSION Results indicate that students are at greater risk of illicit drug-related health problems. Thus, a better understanding of this consumption should be pursued, as well as the development of a prevention plan.