Alcohol intake and abuse among teenagers and young adults are known to be high-risk behaviors, increasing the chance of health issues, drunk driving, violence, criminality, risky sexual activity, and accidents. The current study aims to look at the practice and repercussions of alcohol use among undergraduate medical students at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among undergraduate medical students at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, who volunteered to participate and were recruited using a stratified random sampling method after ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Undergraduate medical students were self-administered 350 structured questionnaires, which contained 82 items about alcohol consumption and its repercussions. The data from the questionnaires completed by participants were analyzed using relevant descriptive statistics and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, v.27.0). Some medical students claimed to often vomiting after drinking or eating meals prior to drinking alcohol. They said that alcoholic drinks were kept in freezers and consumed in hostels and classrooms. It was observed that drinking alcohol might have an impact on their academic performance, absence from lectures and clinical placements, and eventually lead to depression or associated alcohol problems. The alcohol use disorders identification test revealed that some medical students drank four times a week to monthly, while others reported a few vehicle accidents and receiving medical counseling on occasion. The majority of the students believed that alcohol drinking was hazardous to their health and might cause memory loss, liver damage, hypertension, infertility, depression, and obesity. Some medical students admitted to purposefully becoming intoxicated, but they also asserted that alcoholism may be cured with medications and natural treatments. Students said that they consumed alcohol in restaurants/canteens, hostels, family homes, and during parties or social events. Some students take additional drugs in addition to alcohol, such as cigarette smoking, marijuana, cocaine, or others, for a variety of reasons, including feeling euphoric or peer sociability. Students stated that alcoholic beverages were pricey, yet available, despite being outlawed on university grounds. The students stated that they never felt the need to limit their drinking and became irritated when their drinking habits were challenged. These students' alcohol consumption rates were quite modest on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Some students reported that they frequently fail to do the right thing as a result of drinking, but are not apologetic, and that their families, physicians, or friends are unconcerned about their drinking. Some students believed that alcohol intake had an impact on their academic performance, sexual activity, and relationships with others. The current study's data show that some medical students at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, reported drinking alcohol, while the majority reported not drinking alcohol, though the study does not say whether the proportion of students who drank alcohol was considered a health risk. Preventive measures, screening, counseling, and health care services are required for these medical students' alcohol consumption in order to protect the health profession and the general public.

Keywords: Practice, consequences, alcohol use, medical students, Nigeria