Suicide is among the most frequent causes of death among young Europeans. At the age interval 15-19 suicides are the leading cause of death after accidents, poisonings and injuries. Apart from the concept of committed suicide, the concept of suicidal attempt should be distinguished. This concerns actions the undertaking of which does not lead to death, but also such behaviours which are aimed at drawing the attention of the environment to an individual and his/her problems. Studies conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Medicine covered 154 young people from the urban environment who were treated at the Institute’s Clinic due to poisoning with drugs taken for suicidal purposes. Their attitudes and motivation for undertaking a suicidal attempt were determined based on the analysis of medical records, supplemented by psychological and psychiatric assessment. It was observed that suicidal attempts more often concerned females than males, and the mean age was 26.2. A considerable group of people who undertook these attempts were school children and university students who had no permanent employment. The causative agents were most frequently pharmaceuticals, sometimes in combination with alcohol. The most frequent causesof a suicidal act were unemployment, conflicts within a family, difficulties of the age of development, as well as alcohol and drug abuse