Changing Cocaine Use Practices: Neo-liberalism, HIV-AIDS, and Death in an Argentine Shantytown.
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| Title: | Changing Cocaine Use Practices: Neo-liberalism, HIV-AIDS, and Death in an Argentine Shantytown. |
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| Authors: | Epele, María E. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Substance Use & Misuse. May2003, Vol. 38 Issue 9, p1189-1216. 28p. |
| Subjects: | Cocaine abuse, Youth & drugs, Drug abuse, AIDS |
| Geographic Terms: | Argentina |
| Abstract (English): | Cocaine consuming patterns are changing among young drug users who live in “The Villa,” a shantytown located in Greater Buenos Aires. After years of drug injection dominance, cocaine snorting became the preferred drug consuming practice while deep and fast structural and cultural transformations have been taken place as part of the neoliberal program implemented in Argentina during the 1990s and the final economic default in 2001–2002. In this article, I analyze how drug users understand and explain these changing practices, including the following aspects: deteriorating economic conditions, the transformations of survival strategies, moral codes, social network organization, violence regulating mechanisms, criminal activity, and police repression. Based on an ethnographic study carried out during the last eight months in “The Villa,” I suggest that intense and generalized cocaine injection in shantytowns has logistic, organizational, and structural requirements that cocaine snorting does not have. Particularly, I explore two main aspects associated with these changing cocaine consumption practices: the consequences of the many Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths, which occurred among older drug injectors, and the progressive social fragmentation tied to the extreme economic deprivation, deepened social exclusion, and growing everyday violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (Spanish): | Los patrones de consumo de cocaína están cambiando entre los jóvenes usuarios de droga que viven en “La Villa”, un asentamiento ubicado la zona del Gran Buenos Aires, Argentina. Después de años de dominancia de consumo por vía inyectable, la inhalación de la cocaína se ha ido transformando en una de las prácticas preferidas de consumo, a la vez que profundos cambios estructurales y culturales se han registrado en la Argentina como resultado de establecimiento del programa neo-liberal en los años noventa que finalizó con el default económico al final del 2001–2002. En este artículo analizo cómo los usuarios de droga entienden y explican los cambios en las prácticas de consumo, incluyendo no sólo el progresivo deterioro de las condiciones económicas y las transformaciones en las estrategias ilegales de subsistencia, sino también los cambios en los códigos morales, en la organización de redes sociales, en los mecanismos de regulación de la violencia, la actividad criminal y la represión policial. Tomando como base el estudio etnográfico que he estado desarrollando en “la Villa” durante los últimos ocho meses, sugiero que el consumo intensivo y generalizado de cocaína por vía inyectable en vecindarios marcados por la pobreza y la exclusión social, tiene requerimientos logísticos, organizacionales y estructurales que la inhalación de cocaína carece. Particularmente, exploro dos aspectos principales asociados con estas transformaciones en el consumo: las numerosas muertes vinculadas al SIDA entre los usuarios de drogas de la generación precedente y la progresiva fragmentación social asociada a la extrema pobreza, a la creciente exclusión social y a la violencia cotidiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (French): | Les modéles de consommation de cocaïne sont en train de changer parmi les jeunesusagers de drogue qui vivent au “Village”, un ensemble de logements précaires situé dans la région du Gran Buenos Aires (Province de Buenos Aires). Après des années de prédominance de consommation par voie d'injection, l'aspiration de cocaïne est devenue l'une des pratiques préférées de consommation, en même temps qu'apparaissaient en Argentine de profonds changements structurels et culturels, résultant de l'établissement du programme néo-libéral qui s'est achevé avec le “default” économique à la fin de l'année 2001. Dans cet article, j'analyse comment les usagers de drogue comprennent et expliquent les changements dans les pratiques de consommation, et je développe la détérioration progressive des conditions économiques et les transformations dans les stratégies illégales de survivance, ainsi que les changements dans les codes éthiques, dans les mécanismes de régulation de la violence, l'activité criminelle et la répression due à la police. À partir de l'étude ethnographique que j'ai menée au “Village” dans les huit derniers mois, je suggère que la consommation intensive et généralisée de cocaïne par voie d'injection dans des populations stgmatisées par la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale, a des exigences logistiques, organisationnelles et structurelles absentes dans l'aspiration de cocaïne. En particulier, j'explore deux aspects principaux associés à ces transformations dans la consommation: les nombreux décès associés au SIDA parmi les usagers de drogue de la génération précédente et la fragmentation sociale progressive associée à l'extrême pauvreté, à la croissante exclusion sociale et à la violence quotidienne. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Cocaine consuming patterns are changing among young drug users who live in “The Villa,” a shantytown located in Greater Buenos Aires. After years of drug injection dominance, cocaine snorting became the preferred drug consuming practice while deep and fast structural and cultural transformations have been taken place as part of the neoliberal program implemented in Argentina during the 1990s and the final economic default in 2001–2002. In this article, I analyze how drug users understand and explain these changing practices, including the following aspects: deteriorating economic conditions, the transformations of survival strategies, moral codes, social network organization, violence regulating mechanisms, criminal activity, and police repression. Based on an ethnographic study carried out during the last eight months in “The Villa,” I suggest that intense and generalized cocaine injection in shantytowns has logistic, organizational, and structural requirements that cocaine snorting does not have. Particularly, I explore two main aspects associated with these changing cocaine consumption practices: the consequences of the many Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths, which occurred among older drug injectors, and the progressive social fragmentation tied to the extreme economic deprivation, deepened social exclusion, and growing everyday violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10826084 |
| DOI: | 10.1081/JA-120018478 |
