USE OF PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES BY BRAZILIAN STUDENTS, PREVENTION AND PNAD: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Some aspects of the lives of Brazilian students were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the use of psychoactive substances, which brings out the value of prevention actions. It is known that since 2019 there have been changes in the National Drug Policy (PNAD) and this fact can interfere with public health actions. The objective of this study was to map data on the use of psychoactive substances among Brazilian students of basic education, to coordinate information on prevention actions and to relate them to the new PNAD, aiming to integrate knowledge and reflect on this public health issue. A systematic review was carried out in four main databases between June and December 2023, with an eight-year historical series. A survey of institutionalized prevention actions in Brazilian capitals and their relations with the new PNAD was carried out during the year 2024. It was observed that the use of psychoactive substances by basic education students is a Brazilian reality, for different socioeconomic profiles, substances and patterns of use, with alcohol being the predominant substance. Prevention actions were evidenced in most Brazilian capitals and there are interfaces with the new PNAD. It is concluded that there is a need for greater dissemination, coverage and dissemination of preventive actions for education and health promotion and, for people who use psychoactive substances, actions that emphasize health care, in the logic of harm reduction.