An unprecedented study, which interviewed 90 people who live in the region known as Cracolândia, due to the concentration of drug users, in the capital of São Paulo, showed that 70% of them have already been hospitalized at least once. The team of researchers also located crack users who had been hospitalized more than 30 times, which, in the researchers’ opinion, both situations indicate that experts who advocate treatment in current ways are on the wrong path. 
The data appears in the report ‘Cracolândia’ by users: how people who live on the streets of the territory perceive public policiesreleased this Friday (25), by the Bureaucracy Studies Center of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (NEB/FGV), by the Metropolis Studies Center of the University of São Paulo (CEM/USP) and by the Study Group (in) disciplines of the Body and Territory (Coccyx).
The interviews were carried out in July and August 2022 and, as the study authors clarify, they help to explain a lot about the effectiveness of the treatments in force and about the population living there, although they do not cover a representative sample of the entire Cracolândia.
The majority of survey participants, more than 80%, are black men, aged between 30 and 49 years old. The portion that declared that they use crack exceeded 90%, while the remaining portion said that they consume alcohol regularly.
The researchers also wanted to understand what interpersonal relationships users maintain, even though they live in the region, and capture their perception of the health service offered. A finding that shows that the way the model was designed differs from what happens in practice is the fact that many interviewees see hospitalization as a place of passage, which provides rest and physical recovery, but does not mean a solution for use of drugs, that is, it does not fulfill its original purpose.
The majority (69%) sleep on the streets and almost half (40%) said they are in the region of their own free will. According to the researchers, this group has Cracolândia as their home or remains in the area because they feel comfortable in it.
The publication highlights that half of the participants remain in contact with their family. Another important fact is that more than two thirds carry out productive activities regularly, such as recycling and selling objects.
