[Illicit and psychotropic drug use among medical students at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile].

Background: Illicit drug abuse is a public health problem, generally starting in adolescence. Medical students are not an exception.

Aim: To assess the consumption of illicit drugs among medical students of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Material And Methods: A questionnaire used by the National Council for the Control of Substance Abuse (CONACE) to evaluate substance use and the Goldberg Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), were applied to medical students. The questionnaires were self administered under supervision.

Results: The survey was completed by 569 of 775 students (74%). "Ever used" reached 33% for marijuana, 1.196 for cocaine, 2.1% for amphetamines without prescription, 6.9% for not prescribed benzodiazepines and 5.8% for not prescribed antidepressants. The use of these substances was only associated for ever used marijuana and level of career (p <0.01), with the highest rate in the seventh final year (51.4%). Benzodiazepine use was also associated with the level of career (p <0.01) with less than 6% prevalence from first to fourth and the highest in seventh year (32.4%). Non prescribed antidepressant use was significantly higher among women. Tobacco and alcohol use were associated with consumption of marijuana (p <0.0001) and benzodiazepines (p <0.0001).

Conclusions: Our medical students have low marijuana consumption rates, only above Turkey. Cocaine and amphetamines use is low, benzodiazepine consumption is higher among final year students. Antidepressant use is higher among women.