Search

In this study we aimed to investigate through ethnographic methods the different contexts of drug use by street adolescents in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participant observations and semistructured interviews were performed at 11 major points of adolescent concentration in the streets of the city and in 10 care institutions. The sample was composed of 17 adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age. Data showed diverse patterns of drug use distributed by geographic situation and street circumstances. Observations were grouped into three main contexts: (a) immersion: greater intensity of drug use associated with greater involvement in the street culture; (b) surface: less drug use associated with family closeness; and (c) alternative-migratory: greater involvement with drug trafficking and prostitution associated with less family closeness and street culture. The drug use patterns varied in accordance with the diversity of street situations. Therefore, the peculiarities of each context should be taken into consideration in the development of social/ health policies.

The main objective of the present work is to understand the processes used in emerging Catholic and Protestant religious interventions for recovery from drug dependence, from the vantage point of individuals subjected to them. A qualitative method and an intentional sample selected by criteria were adopted for this investigation, which was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil. An in-depth semi-structured interview was conducted with 57 predominantly male former drug users who fit the criteria: they had been submitted to non-medical religious treatments to treat dependence and were abstinent for at least 6 months. Crisis was found to be the main reason leading interviewees to seek treatment; this includes, losing family, losing employment, and experiencing severe humiliation. Evangelicals most used religious resources exclusively as treatment, showing strong aversion to the role of doctors and to any type of pharmacological treatment. A common feature of Catholic and Protestant groups is the importance ascribed to praying and talking to God, described by subjects as strongly anxiolytic, and a means to control drug craving. Confession and forgiveness, through faith conversion or penitences, respectively, appeal strongly to the restructuring of life and increase of self-esteem. Religious interventions were considered effective by the individuals who underwent them and were seen as attractive for the humane, respectful treatment they delivered. The key aspects of this type of treatment are social support provided by the receiving group, equal treatment, and instant, judgment-free acceptance. The success of these actions, then, is not only due to some "supernatural" aspect, as might be assumed, but also more to the unconditional dedication of human beings to their peers. Given the difficulty in treating drug dependence, religious interventions could be used as a complementary treatment for conventional therapies.

Objective: To analyze the role of emerging religious interventions in the recovery from drug addiction., Methodological Procedures: An exploratory qualitative study carried out in the city of Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2004 and 2005. In-depth interviews were held with 85 former drug users who had turned to non-medical religious resources for the treatment of their drug addiction and who were free from drugs for at least six months. The religious groups included in the analysis were Catholics, Evangelicals and Spiritualists. The interviews contained questions relating to sociodemographic data, the religiosity of the interviewee, his or her history of drug consumption, medical treatment for drug addiction, religious treatment and prevention of drug consumption through religion., Analysis of Results: There were differences between the religious groups in the way that the drug addict was supported. The group that most used religion as an exclusive form of treatment was the Evangelicals, who rejected the intervention of a doctor andr any kind of pharmacological treatment. The Spiritualists most turned to therapeutic support for alcohol dependence, as well as conventional treatment, on account of their greater purchasing power. Catholics generally relied exclusively on religious therapy, but were less likely to reject the possibility of medical treatment. The importance given to prayer as an anxiolytic method was common in the three treatments. Confessions and pardons--in the forms of (faith) conversions and penitence for Evangelicals and Catholics respectively--served to help to rebuild people's lives and restore their self-esteem., Conclusions: According to the interviewees, what helped them to maintain their abstinence from drugs was more than just religious faith. Other factors included the support, positive pressure and welcoming offered by the group, and the offer to rebuild their lives with the unconditional support of religious leaders.

Although many studies have suggested that risk and protective factors are related to the use of drugs, their role has not been given due importance. More attention to protective factors could make them a fundamental tool in prevention programs. Since low socioeconomic level and adolescence are known as risk factors, the aim of this study was to identify which factors would prevent Brazilian adolescents from low-income families from using drugs. A qualitative method and an intentional sample selected by criteria were adopted for this investigation. During 2003, sixty-two youngsters, ages 16 to 24 years old, 30 drug users, and 32 nonusers were administered a semistructured interview. The subjects perceived family and religiosity as important protective factors in their lives. With regard to religiosity, 81% of nonusers believed in and practiced a religion, whereas only 13% of users considered themselves as being religious. The belief in and practice of a religion were also more evident among family members of nonusers (74%) than those of users (33%). These results indicated that religion may be a relevant protective factor for the sample studied, helping the family unit in keeping youth away from drugs. The study's limitations were noted.