Alcohol is the licit drug that is considered a serious public health problem worldwide; it is a psychoactive substance that produces dependence. Excessive alcohol intake has a harmful effect on health and is associated with the main indicators of morbidity, disability and mortality. It is considered the causative agent of more than 200 diseases, as well as being associated with homicides, suicides, injuries or accidents and even causing approximately 303 million deaths per year worldwide. The objective of this study is to describe the reasons for alcohol consumption in students of a public university in northern Mexico. According to the results, the university population mainly consumes alcohol occasionally for social reasons.