The consumption of licit and illicit drugs has increased considerably worldwide. This increase is noticeable in the university student population. Among the various reasons is the ease of access to drugs due to the age of majority, the need to be accepted in the group, socio-environmental influences, the wide availability of alcohol at festive events, without forgetting the power that the media exerts over young people. In view of this, this study is important in order to understand the risk factors as well as the protective factors related to drug abuse, so that strategies for prevention and health promotion can be devised. The aim of this study was to identify the abusive use of alcohol and other drugs in a sample of university students and its possible associations with risk factors (depressive symptoms, violence and impulsivity) and protective factors (resilience) present in life. The methodology used was descriptive research with a population of 152 university students from a university in the interior of the state of São Paulo.