The use of Psychoactive Substances (PAS) is a reality among Brazilian adolescents, who may use alcohol or other illicit drugs as a form of social adaptation or even to be able to live in a fluid and hedonistic society. PASs can be considered commodities in postmodernity, being freely traded, as in the case of alcohol, or sold clandestinely, generating profits for the few. When studying the consumption of these psychoactive substances, generalizations or just blaming the individual for their use should be avoided. The phenomenon must be observed from the perspective of social determination, considering the general, particular and singular dimensions. The aim of this research was to understand the social determination of psychoactive substance use by adolescents enrolled in the 9th grade of Elementary School in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais. For this purpose, we used the sequential transformative mixed method, which was conducted with 9th grade adolescents from public and private elementary schools. In the quantitative axis (n = 303), the modules of general information, use of alcohol and illicit drugs of the 2015 National School Health Survey (PeNSE) were applied. The qualitative axis was preponderant and followed the quantitative, in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 adolescents who had participated in the quantitative axis. As for the analyzes, a descriptive and multivariate analysis was performed for all quantitative variables. In the qualitative axis, the discourses based on dialectical hermeneutics were analyzed and the results of both axes were integrated in the discussion of the results, as recommended by the sequential transformative method. In the analysis of quantitative variables, there was an association in the multivariate analysis between making use of alcohol and intending to study only until high school or technical (p = 0.007), continuing to study and work (p = 0.003), not living with parents (p = 0.010) and have friends who use alcohol (p = 0.009). The quantitative results discuss, complement and agree with the discourses of adolescents on the qualitative axis, demonstrating the importance of a mixed approach on the subject. The use of PASs by adolescents is related to the social imaginary about the phenomenon, in which media, policies and market dictate norms of conduct, as noted in the lack of supervision of the sale of beverages for adolescents, in the relationship between having a job that generates income and have friends who use alcohol. All these factors are related, so that the social space of this adolescent, the place occupied socially by him and his social class will largely dictate the consequences of using PAS. It is concluded that adolescents relate all dimensions of the phenomenon to the choice of whether or not to use PAS, but the overall dimension stands out, mainly due to the economic factor that guides the others, influencing the media, products considered desirable and places. of individuals. By recognizing the main points of social obstacle and risk determinants, the community can debate and propose actions aimed at changes in both the physical space and the psychological field. In the latter case, in the field of subjectivity, actions can be developed that empower young people of their rights and duties to cover improvements of rulers and initiate changes at a singular level, with transformations in their interpersonal relationships. These steps are simultaneous and require time to be realized, because any change occurs with changes in both the behavioral level and the social imaginary. Such changes will awaken opposing forces, mainly at the political and economic levels, however, only through the clash of ideas and paradigms that new forms of organization can emerge.