Abstract
Objective: To analyze the assistance of nurses or Family Health Strategies regarding the use of psychoactive substances. Methods: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study with a population of 68 nurses working in Family Health Strategies in a city in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. A questionnaire adapted from Barros MA (2006) was used. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistics with the aid of the SPSS Statistics software. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: it was found that 85% perform the reception; the feeling of insecurity predominates 52.9% regarding care; 85.3% consider that the biggest difficulty is the resistance of users; 55.8% do not make referrals to specialized services and 70.5% report not receiving counter-referral from the Mental Health Network. Conclusion: it is necessary to invest in the qualification of nursing care offered to users of psychoactive substances. Nurses lack general technical information that involves drug use, abuse and dependence. It is believed that a quality nursing care can ensure the appropriate treatment and favor the quality of life of users.