RESUMEN. El consumo de alcohol constituye un problema socio-sanitario del que derivan consecuencias negativas en toda la población, en especial en el colectivo juvenil. El estudio plantea como objetivo el analizar las actitudes, motivaciones y percepción de riesgo de consumo de alcohol, en función del patrón de consumo y del riesgo de consumo perjudicial. Para ello, se han seleccionado 1260 estudiantes mexicanos (573 de Puebla y 687 de Mérida), con un rango de edad comprendido entre los 14 y los 25 años (M = 18.84, DE = 2.43). Se ha hallado que los consumidores frecuentes representan el 55.1% de la muestra, siendo un 5.3% consumidores problemáticos y reportando este grupo mayores síntomas de dependencia y consumo abusivo. En ambas subpoblaciones se constata que quienes no consumen alcohol presentan mayores actitudes de resistencia y percepciones de riesgo y menores actitudes de permisividad. Se obtuvo que tanto los hombres como las mujeres no consumidores muestran mayores actitudes de resistencia y percepciones de riesgo, de modo que las mujeres consumidoras reportan actitudes de permisividad. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados y su potencialidad para el diseño e implementación de programas de prevención primaria en el ámbito socioeducativo. PALABRAS CLAVE: Alcohol, Jóvenes, Percepción de riesgo, Motivadores para el consumo, Perfiles de consumidores, AUDIT. Alcohol consumption patterns and perception of risk in Mexican students ABSTRACT. Alcohol consumption constitutes a social and health problem from which multiple negative consequences derive throughout the population, especially in the youth group. The objective of this study is to analyze the attitudes, motivations and perception of risk of alcohol consumption, based on the pattern of consumption and the risk of harmful consumption. For this, 1,260 Mexican students have been selected (573 from the city of Puebla and 687 from the city of Mérida), with an age range between 14 and 25 years (M = 18.84, SD = 2.43). It has been found that frequent users represent 55.1% of the sample, 5.3% being problem users, this group being the one that reported the greatest symptoms of dependence and abusive consumption. In both subpopulations of young people it is found that those who do not consume alcohol present greater attitudes of resistance and perceptions of risk, and less attitudes of permissiveness. It was found that both men and women not consumer show greater attitudes of resistance and perception of risk, so that women who drink report attitudes of permissiveness. The implications of these results and their potential for the design and implementation of primary prevention programs in the socio-educational field are discussed. KEYWORDS: Alcohol, Youth, Risk perception, Motivators for consumption, Consumer profiles, AUDIT.