Government Social Service for Drug Users in São Paulo’s Cracolândia Will Be Closed

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – The “Atende 2” (Emergency Daily Service Unit), in the region of Cracolândia (Crackland), in downtown São Paulo, will be closed by the City government. The site is part of the Redemption program, a municipal strategy for serving drug users, and will be replaced by new equipment, at Glicério, some 2 km away.

The projected change, still with no starting date, has led to complaints from organizations working with drug users’ damage reduction in the region, according to the city hall. They said that in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the closure of the facility will create problems and leave the population even more exposed.

The virus has already caused the death of 486 people in the country and infected over 10,000. In the Cracolândia region, sanitary conditions favor the spread of cases.

Almost everything is exchanged or shared there. Bongs, cigarettes, drinks, tents. In the midst of the flow, a site where drug users are crowded, currently on Cleveland Avenue, life is communal. There is no quarantine or visible public action against the spread of the novel coronavirus, say residents and volunteers.

The number of people in Cracolândia varies and reaches its peak at night. A study by Uniad (Unifesp’s Alcohol and Drug Research Unit) shows that in 2019 more than 1,800 people visited the site every day.

In a statement, the organizations stated that the measure is part of the ongoing process to remove drug users from the Luz region and remove them from public view.

“A city area that, historically, has an insufficient attention and care network, is aggravated by the recent decisions taken by municipal and state governments. Since 2017, the municipal administration has been trying to move Cracolândia out of downtown São Paulo”, says the statement.

According to the city hall, ‘Atende 2’ (Daily Emergency Service Unit) “was recently the target of a police operation to fight drug trafficking, which showed how and how much the site was compromised for the service’s employees as well as for alcohol and drug users in vulnerable situations”.

The site is able to serve 185 people and offers services such as rest areas, restrooms and cafeterias, as well as social and educational workshops. The facility to be opened in the Glicério region, says the city hall, will be able to serve 200 people daily.