Perception of users of psychoactive substances on damage reduction

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The damage reduction (RD) minimizes risks and anomalies caused or secondary by drug use without there necessarily being the reduction of consumption. OBJECTIVE: To understand the RD from the psychoactive substances user’s point of view. METHODOLOGY: Qualitative study having as its methodological theoretical axis the social constructionism. Instrument: semi structured interview. Research subjects: Homeless users of psychoactive substances. RESULTS: Reports that explain the damage reducer as innovation operator, the prevention of health, questioning and opposition with respect to RD’s actions. CONCLUSION: The vision of users is an element that can provide subjective and collective disalienation processes, against the difficulty of standardization methods implicit in actions with drug users.