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Objective: analyze the relationship between the perception of risk and the behavior of driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana or getting into a vehicle driven by someone under the effects of these substances in order to identify risk factors and protective factors. Method: multicenter study cross sectional survey with students from a University in Colombia (n = 493) completed a survey prepared during the International Program of Training in Research for Health Professionals and Related Areas to Study the Drug Phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results: an inverse relationship was observed between each of the three levels of risk perception: detection (p

Objective: this investigation examined adolescents’ perception of the harms and benefits of marijuana use and how regulatory changes may affect their intent to use marijuana. Method: this cross-sectional survey gathered data from 268 15 to 17 years old students who were enrolled in public secondary schools in St Kitts-Nevis - Caribe. Results: forty five percent of the students perceive that there is no risk if marijuana is smoked once or twice. One out of every 4 students felt that there is great risk if marijuana is used regularly. About half of the students felt that marijuana helps persons their age to cope with emotional difficulties. Students who have used marijuana have a low perception of the risks associated with marijuana use and are seven times more likely to continue using marijuana, if it were legal and they were 18 years of age. Conclusion: most of the students perceive that there is no personal harm associated with smoking marijuana. Students are not sure whether the benefits of using marijuana are greater than the risks. A noticeable proportion of students were unsure of the harms and benefits associated with marijuana use. It is recommended that suitable educational and preventative programmes be implemented in schools. RESUMO Objetivo: esta investigação analisou a percepção dos adolescentes sobre os danos e benefícios do uso de maconha e como as mudanças regulatórias podem afetar sua intenção de usar maconha. Método: este estudo de levantamento transversal reuniu dados de 268 alunos de 15 a 17 anos matriculados em escolas públicas de ensino médio em St. Kitts-Nevis - Caribe. Resultados: quarenta e cinco por cento dos estudantes afirmaram que não há risco se a maconha for consumida uma ou duas vezes. Um em cada quatro estudantes sentiu que há um grande risco se a maconha for usada regularmente. Cerca de metade dos alunos relatou que a maconha ajuda as pessoas da sua idade a lidar com dificuldades emocionais. Os estudantes que usaram maconha têm uma baixa percepção dos riscos associados ao uso de maconha e são sete vezes mais propensos a continuar usando maconha, se fosse legalizada e se tivessem 18 anos de idade. Conclusão: a maioria dos estudantes percebe que não há danos pessoais associados ao consumo de maconha. Os estudantes não têm certeza se os benefícios do uso da maconha são maiores que os riscos. Uma proporção notável de estudantes não tinha certeza dos danos e benefícios associados ao uso de maconha. Recomenda-se que sejam implementados programas educativos e preventivos adequados nas escolas. RESUMEN Objetivo: esta investigación analizó las percepciones de los adolescentes sobre los daños y beneficios del uso de la marihuana y cómo los cambios regulatorios pueden afectar su intención de consumirla. Método: este estudio transversal recolectó datos de 268 estudiantes de 15 a 17 años inscritos en escuelas secundarias públicas en St. Kitts-Nevis en el Caribe. Resultados: el 45% de los estudiantes dijeron que no había riesgo si la marihuana se consumía una o dos veces. Uno de cada cuatro estudiantes sintió que existe un gran riesgo si la marihuana se usa de forma regular. Alrededor de la mitad de los estudiantes informó que la marihuana ayuda a las personas de su edad a enfrentar dificultades emocionales. Los estudiantes que consumieron marihuana tienen una baja percepción de los riesgos asociados al uso de la misma y siete veces más probabilidades de seguir consumiendo marihuana si esta estuviera legalizada y si tuvieran 18 años. Conclusión: la mayoría de los estudiantes se da cuenta de que no hay lesiones personales asociadas con el consumo de la marihuana. Los estudiantes no están seguros de si los beneficios del consumo de la marihuana son mayores que los riesgos. Un número notable de los estudiantes no estaba seguro de los daños y beneficios asociados al uso de la marihuana. Se recomienda que se implementen programas educativos y preventivos apropiados en las escuelas.

Objective: to investigate the perception of harms and benefits associated with cannabis use among adolescents and how regulatory changes might affect their intention to use marijuana. Method: this multi-centric cross-sectional survey study. participants included 2717 students aged 15-17 from 10 cities in Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. Results: an average lifetime prevalence of cannabis use of 30.6% (25.8% past year, 15.8% past 30 days). Most participants reported that their closest friends use cannabis (60%); many (55%) stated that they would not use marijuana, even if it were legally available. Conclusion: statistics revealed that a strong perception of benefits, a low perception of risk, and friends’ use of cannabis were associated with individual use as well as intention to use within a hypothetical context of regulatory change. RESUMEN Objetivo: investigar la percepción de daños y beneficios asociados al uso de marihuana en adolescentes y cómo los cambios regulatorios pueden afectar la intención de uso. Método: estudio multicéntrico, cuantitativo y transversal tipo encuesta. los participantes fueron 2,717 estudiantes entre 15 y 17 años de 10 ciudades de Belice, Brasil. Chile, Colombia, República Dominicana, Jamaica, México, San Cristóbal y Nieves, y Trinidad y Tobago. Resultados: prevalencia de alguna vez en la vida de 30.6% (25.8% ultimo año, 15.8% últimos 30 días). Los adolescentes refieren que amigos cercanos consumen marihuana (60%). Los participantes (55%) declaran que no usarían marihuana, incluso si estuviera disponible legalmente. Conclusión: las estadísticas revelan que la alta percepción de los beneficios, baja percepción de daño y amigos que consumen marihuana, está asociado con el consumo y la intención de uso en el contexto hipotético de cambios regulatorios. RESUMO Objetivo: investigar a percepção de danos e benefícios associados ao uso de maconha entre os adolescentes e como as mudanças regulatórias podem afetar a intenção de usar maconha. Método: estudo multicêntrico de corte transversal. Os participantes foram 2.717 alunos com idades entre 15 e 17 anos de 10 cidades em Belize, Brasil, Chile, Colômbia, República Dominicana, Jamaica, México, São Cristóvão e Nevis e Trinidad e Tobago. Resultados: prevalência de uso de maconha na vida de 30,6% (25,8% no ano passado, 15,8% nos últimos 30 dias). Os participantes relataram que os amigos mais próximos usam maconha (60%); e metade (55%) afirmou que não usariam maconha, mesmo se ela estivesse legalmente disponível. Conclusão: as estatísticas revelaram que percepção elevada de benefícios, percepção de baixo risco e uso de maconha por parte de amigos estavam associados ao uso individual, bem como à intenção de usar a maconha em um contexto hipotético de mudanças regulatórias.

Objective: analyze attitudes toward people with problematic drug use in the city of Loja, Ecuador. Method: a quantitative, cross-sectional, preliminary study using survey methodology aimed at collecting data on attitudes towards people with problematic drug use by residents in the city of Loja, Ecuador. The sample size is 121 individuals. This study is part of a multi-center investigation that involves 10 universities and a National Drug Council in Latin America. Results: the results revealed that attitudes toward people with problematic uses of alcohol are positive while attitudes toward people with problematic uses of other drugs such as marijuana and cocaine are ambivalent. It also shows that ambivalence prevails according to the majority of socio-demographic variables, differing in the masculine gender, people in the range of 18-29 years; those who lives with their partner; those who have a higher education than high school who have a positive attitude towards people with problematic uses of alcohol. And the scale that presents the greatest difficulties is the area of personal contact with negative attitudes towards the users of marijuana and cocaine. Conclusion: it is vital to continue researching about stigma, social distance and attitudes towards people who use drugs in the Ecuadorian context, its impact on treatment and social integration and the most appropriate information strategies to avoid stigma. RESUMO Objetivo: analisar as atitudes para com as pessoas com usos problemáticos de drogas, na cidade de Loja, Equador. Método: estudo quantitativo, transversal, preliminar, que utiliza metodologia de questionário destinado à colheita de dados sobre as atitudes para com as pessoas com usos problemáticos de drogas, moradores na cidade de Loja, Equador. A amostra foi composta por 121 indivíduos. Esta pesquisa faz parte de uma investigação multicêntrica que envolve 10 universidades e 1 Conselho Nacional de Drogas na América Latina. Resultados: os resultados revelaram que as atitudes para com as pessoas com usos problemáticos de álcool são positivas, mas as atitudes para com as pessoas com usos problemáticos de outras drogas, como maconha e cocaína, são ambivalentes. Demonstra, também, que a ambivalência predomina de acordo com a maioria das variáveis sociodemográficas, diferindo no gênero masculino, pessoas na faixa etária de 18 a 29 anos, aquelas que moram com o companheiro, aquelas com nível superior de escolaridade - maior ao colegial - que têm uma atitude positiva perante pessoas com usos problemáticos de álcool, e a escala que apresenta maior dificuldade é a área de contato pessoal com atitudes negativas em relação aos usuários de maconha e cocaína. Conclusão: é vital continuar pesquisando o estigma, a distância social e as atitudes em relação às pessoas que usam drogas no contexto equatoriano, seu impacto no tratamento e na integração social, e as estratégias de informação mais apropriadas para evitar o estigma. RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar las actitudes hacia las personas con usos problemáticos de drogas, en la ciudad de Loja, Ecuador. Método: estudio cuantitativo, transversal, preliminar, que utiliza metodología de encuesta destinado a la recolección de datos sobre las actitudes frente las personas con usos problemáticos de drogas de los moradores en la ciudad de Loja, Ecuador. El tamaño de la muestra es de 121 individuos. Este estudio forma parte de una investigación multicéntrica que involucra a 10 universidades y un Consejo Nacional de Drogas en Latinoamérica. Resultados: los resultados revelaron que las actitudes hacia personas con usos problemáticos de alcohol son positivas mientras que las actitudes hacia persona con usos problemáticos de otras drogas como la marihuana y cocaína son ambivalentes. También se evidencia que la ambivalencia prima según la mayoría de variables sociodemográficas diferenciándose en el género masculino, personas en el rango de 18-29 años, las que viven con su pareja, las que tienen una educación superior a la secundaria quienes tienen actitud positiva hacia personas con usos problemáticos de alcohol, y la escala que presenta mayores dificultades es el área de contacto personal con actitudes negativas hacia los usadores de marihuana y cocaína. Conclusión: es vital continuar investigando sobre estigma, distancia social y actitudes hacia las personas que usan drogas en el contexto ecuatoriano, su impacto en tratamiento e integración social y las estrategias de información más adecuadas para evitar el estigma.

Objective: determine the prevalence of drug use and to investigate the relationship between knowledge of consequences and drug consumption as well as the relationship between academic performance and drug consumption among university undergraduate students in Jamaica. Method: the study uses a cross sectional design. A total of 250 undergraduate students were selected through a randomized cluster sampling process. A modified survey instrument consisting of over 70 items relating to socio-demographics, knowledge of consequences, drug consumption and academic performance measures was used to test the research question and hypothesis. Results: the findings revealed low levels of drug usage as well as problematic usage, however, there was a weak negative yet statistically significant correlation between the academic performance and alcohol use (r=-.139, p=.028) which suggested that an increase in alcohol usage is associated with reduction in academic performance. The independent T test also revealed a statistically significant difference between those who used alcohol and those who did not use alcohol in the past 12 months based on academic performance. Conclusion: the findings will inform policy decisions regarding drug use and the provision of intervention services. It is recommended that this research should be extended to other universities in Jamaica.

Objective: analyze attitudes toward people with problematic drug use in the city of Loja, Ecuador. Method: a quantitative, cross-sectional, preliminary study using survey methodology aimed at collecting data on attitudes towards people with problematic drug use by residents in the city of Loja, Ecuador. The sample size is 121 individuals. This study is part of a multi-center investigation that involves 10 universities and a National Drug Council in Latin America. Results: the results revealed that attitudes toward people with problematic uses of alcohol are positive while attitudes toward people with problematic uses of other drugs such as marijuana and cocaine are ambivalent. It also shows that ambivalence prevails according to the majority of socio-demographic variables, differing in the masculine gender, people in the range of 18-29 years; those who lives with their partner; those who have a higher education than high school who have a positive attitude towards people with problematic uses of alcohol. And the scale that presents the greatest difficulties is the area of personal contact with negative attitudes towards the users of marijuana and cocaine. Conclusion: it is vital to continue researching about stigma, social distance and attitudes towards people who use drugs in the Ecuadorian context, its impact on treatment and social integration and the most appropriate information strategies to avoid stigma.

Objective: analyze the relationship between the perception of risk and the behavior of driving under the influence of alcohol or marijuana or getting into a vehicle driven by someone under the effects of these substances in order to identify risk factors and protective factors. Method: multicenter study cross sectional survey with students from a University in Colombia (n = 493) completed a survey prepared during the International Program of Training in Research for Health Professionals and Related Areas to Study the Drug Phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results: an inverse relationship was observed between each of the three levels of risk perception: detection (p