The indiscriminate use of drugs by the youth is growing steadily in Brazil and worldwide. This study was aimed at reflecting about the professional nursing practice's ethical approach in providing care to adolescents who are users of legal and illegal drugs. This is a theoretical and reflective study based on narrative literature review, using books and scientific articles. Reflections about addiction to psychoactive substances in expansion among adolescents have emerged, and resulted in the discussion about professional nursing practice's ethical approach to drug-using adolescents. Nurses can prioritize care directed to the promotion of the adolescents' health approach, based on an emancipatory perspective of the youth in the prevention of drug use. It was concluded that nurses should use an ethical approach to drug-dependent adolescents, taking into consideration their context and subjectivity.
Nursing; Street drugs; Substance-related disorders; Bioethics