Objective

To determine household risk factors that have an impact on the use of psychoactive substances (SPA, by its acronym in Spanish) by students of the technical educational institution San Luis Gonzaga in Chicoral, Tolima (Colombia).

Methodology

This is a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study. Data were collected by applying the International survey for middle school students - standardized questionnaire, 2009, Argentinian version. The processing of the information was done through the statistical data base package SPSS version 19.

Results

The most common psychoactive substances consumed by students are alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, stimulants, energizing pills or drinks, tranquilizers and others. The list of legal substances is led by alcohol, followed by cigarettes, while the most used illegal substance is marijuana. The age of initiation ranges between 8 and 13, with the highest prevalence between 15 and 17. There are no significant differences between males and females. The family, friends and school environments are the most common places for SPA consumption.

Conclusions

The family plays an important role in the teenager’s life and in the prevention against the use of SPA, by playing an active role in the knowledge of children’s activities, the places they frequent and their friends, in order to establish control mechanism to build a strong relationship.