The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Analyze the frequency and association of addictions among University students

Methods: A randomized anonymous self-administered survey was performed among University of Buenos Aires students, as they performed a compulsory health examination; 1885 students were included, 638 (33.8%) of whom were men and 1247 (66.2%) women; average age: 23 years old.

Results: 60.1% of all were Non Smokers (NS), 12.1% were Ex Smokers (ES), and 27.9% were smokers (S). The smoking starting age was between 11 and 30 years, average 16 years SD 2.48; they smoked from 1 to 40 cigarettes per day, average 7.46 SD 6.25 (p=0.0000), they had smoked from 1 month to 40 years with an average of 5.5, SD 5.3 (p=0.0000). Remembered some educational activity on addictions: 66.9%. Had drunk alcohol in excess at least once during the last year: 31%; S: 37.9%; ES: 27.6%; NS: 28% (p=0.0007). Had tried marijuana or other drugs: 18.9%; S:36.2%; ES: 23.8%; NS: 9.9% (p=0.0000). 87.3% of consumers took marijuana. Those who had tried and continued consuming: 16.7%; S: 23.3%; ES: 9.4%; NS: 9.0% (p=0.0018). Tobacco seems to be closely related with other addictions, such as alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, to the point that it could be considered as initiator, which would deem it necessary to limit its publicity among other actions, and to develop as early as possible in life an integrated action preventive of the problems related with addictive substances, because the University is not free of the problem of addictions, and its graduates are a model of social behavior.