The drug addiction today is considered a complex and a serious Public Health problem. The discussion about drug addiction concerns the health/illness process, considering the models that contribute to the comprehension of this phenomenon at the current moment and to the established intervention strategies. Discussing the drug addiction today demands a reflection on how drug was faced throughout history, based on the health/illness issues and the hemogenic paradigms in each historical moment. This study intends to: a) show the theoretical-conceptual basis of three axes (health, illness and chemical dependence) and their intersections; b) activate a critical reflection about the health promotion issue in the context of chemical dependence, according to the biopsychossocial model currently present. This model considers the human being as a whole, gifted of subjectivity, knowledge and own tasks, active on the health/illness process, emphasizing the necessity of breaking the Cartesian model still dominant at health studies.
public health; illness; drug addiction; psychoactive substances; chemical dependence