Through cracklands and the crack hill: the urban ecology problem in Brazil and France

Abstract

This text revolves around a problem of urban ecology arising from the coexistence of drug users and residents of the neighborhoods most affected by the sale and use of these substances, especially crack, in the public space of large Brazilian urban centers, focusing on Rio de Janeiro, in dialogue with São Paulo – the two largest metropolises in the country, representatives of Latin America –; and foreign ones, focusing on Paris – the French capital and one of Europe’s leading metropolises. The aim of the study is to understand how this problem is experienced and dealt with in the two countries, drawing on previous and ongoing research carried out through ethnography, interviews and documentary analysis. The conclusions point to the configuration of “open scenes” of use in Paris, “drug use situations” on the streets of Rio and “closed scenes” in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, which engender different public responses in both countries.

Keywords:
harm reduction; risks; consumption; urban ecology; crack