This qualitative study aimed to investigate the perception of undergraduate nursing students on health promotion in view of the use of psychoactive substances. Nine undergraduate students, attending the last disciplines of the first semester, participated in the study and were divided in two focal groups. The theoretical-methodological referential was based on Paulo Freire's theory of conscientization. Data were processed through content analysis, demonstrating that students find difficulties in planning intervention strategies in health promotion in view of the drug phenomenon, because the knowledge provided by the university has a biologist tendency, typical of the medical model, recognizing a gap between theory and practice. Nevertheless, they manage to reconstruct their knowledge and become aware of their role as future health promoters in the face of drug use and abuse.
health promotion; nursing students; substance-related disorders