Prevention of Problematic Drug Consumption from a Community Perspective: A Model Kit

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Problematic drug use has been addressed so far by two dominant approaches: the ethical-legal and the medical models. OBJECTIVES: To identify institutions and organizations whose strategies are in line with the so-called socio-community approach to problematic drug use and thus to expand and strengthen the model. METHODS: An exploratory-descriptive design was used. For the production, processing and analysis of information, a qualitative methodological strategy was used, collecting data through in-depth interviews. The study explored trajectories and activities of various institutions and organizations in Buenos Aires city and the Great Buenos Aires. The data analysis allowed to define the constitutive dimensions of the model and to characterize the actions related to each dimension. RESULTS: The organizations under study were of three types: the ones addressing problematic drug use as a public health issue; the ones relating that use to marginality and vulnerability; and the ones making health promotion interventions in the field of sport, education, communication and culture. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to ensure the sustainability of these projects in order to develop a more effective and comprehensive public policy in the field of problematic drug use.