Latin American Research on Drug Use (2013–2023): A Brief Exploratory Overview

Drug use, as a biopsychosocial phenomenon, is one of the most concerning public health problems worldwide. Latin America and the Caribbean are not immune to this issue, making research development in this field imperative. This chapter provides a brief compilation and analysis of evidence from studies conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean on drug use, through a review of scientific articles published in various databases from 2013 to 2023. The results reflect that research on the subject is still limited. However, it is noted that drug use is increasing and the emergence of new substances is not stopping. On the other hand, the most researched drug is alcohol, the most recurring population in the study samples are adolescents and youth, and a transition of reasons for consumption from evolutionary to adaptive reasons is highlighted. Likewise, more multi-country studies and dialogue from related fields such as health psychology and social psychology are suggested to understand the initiation, reduction, or cessation of drug use.