Stigma and Prejudice: The Experience of Crack Users

Objective

To evaluate the stigma and prejudice experienced by crack users in their social context.

Method

A qualitative study developed through the Fourth Generation Evaluation, conducted with four interest groups (ten users, eleven families, eight employees, and seven managers), components of the mental health care network. For data collection, we used observation and individual interview. The analysis was performed through the constant comparative method.

Results

Crack users suffer prejudice and are stigmatized as those who do not fit in the systems established by society (without family links, formal employment and dwelling), and are thus excluded. They exhibit undisciplined behavior and, therefore, are discriminated, marginalized and considered as criminals, losing their uniqueness and living in vulnerable situations.

Conclusion

The evaluation process emphasized the need to demystify the social imaginary that demonizes the chemically dependent, being thus important to develop public policies with actions focused on health, prevention, information and combat to stigma...

The capitalist society establishes the licit and illicit consumption of goods and products. In relation to crack, the user frequently consumes it in public spaces, occupying these places. Most people believes in the social imaginary that these people must be removed from the street, in order to "clean" these spaces - an urban cleaning(P1).

Therefore, it is necessary to construct a society that does not moralize life situations or the problems faced by citizens, because these factors influence the right of using public spaces that belong to everyone.

Concerning the issue of crack and drug addiction, before moving, preventing access and hiding, society must demystify the idea that the user is someone incapable, dangerous and without conditions. We need to disseminate information and deal with this problem as a health issue. We also must include the economic, educational and social assistance sector, in addition to policies, proposing the right to health care, access to public spaces and, especially, to support healthcare institutions that are prepared to assist this kind of user. To deal with drugs we need to combat prejudice and stigma and, thereby, health assistance is oriented by the production of social life.

It is possible to affirm that prejudice and stigma are very similar social processes that can result in discrimination, involving categorization and labeling, stereotyping and social rejection⁽ 12 ⁾...

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/TSJBs7

By:  Nathália Duarte Bard, 1 Beatriz Antunes, 2 Cristine Moraes Roos, 3 Agnes Olschowsky, 4 and Leandro Barbosa de Pinho5

¹Undergraduate student in Nursing, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Scholarship holder from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil

²Master's student, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

³PhD

⁴PhD, Full Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

⁵PhD, Adjunct Professor, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Corresponding Author: Nathália Duarte Bard Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Escola de Enfermagem Rua São Manuel, 963 Bairro: Rio Branco CEP: 90620-110, Porto Alegre, RS

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