Introduction:

The abuse of substances by adolescents and young people is a health problem that worries health professionals, parents and educators.

Objective:

To identify the level of knowledge about the harms of drug use in adolescents of the "Martín Klein" secondary school in Varadero.

Method:

Cross-sectional descriptive study in 228 students. The variables were collected; level of knowledge, level of schooling, place and frequency of consumption. To measure the level of knowledge, a questionnaire of six questions, three closed and three mixed, was used.

Results:

64.9% of the students were found with medium knowledge about the damage caused by drugs; 98.2% recognize tobacco / cigar, cocaine and marijuana as drugs. 85, 1% have obtained information on the subject through television, family and teacher; 94.7% acknowledge that the consumption of substances is harmful to health. Predominant non-consumers of substances (66.7%), and those who consume, alcohol and cigars, on weekends.

Conclusions:

They have medium knowledge about the damages caused by drugs to health; they recognize tobacco / cigar, cocaine and marijuana as drugs. The main sources of information were television, the family and the teacher. They identify that drug use impairs physical and mental health. The abstainers predominate, followed by those who use alcohol and smoke cigars in recreational centers, on weekends.

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