Professionals from the José María Cullen Hospital conducted research showing the increase in cocaine use in the city of Santa Fe. According to hospital admissions, from 2018 to 2022 increased 30 percent people affected by this drug.
The other alarming fact is that in the cases treated, it was detected that many patients had mixed cocaine with alcohol, a “cocktail” that can be fatal in some cases. There was also an increase in income from consumption of other psychoactive drugs (such as marijuana), psychotropics (benzodiazepines) and alcohol.
In this regard, the coordinator of the Community accompaniment house El Rincón CulturalGisel Scottapointed out the low state assistance and the lack of opportunities for young people in the neighborhoods.
“The data from the Cullen Hospital professionals put this discussion on the agenda, to tell the authorities about the increase in consumption in young people. The most affected age group goes from 18 to 30 yearswhich aggravates the picture,” he told Chain OH!
“In our case we see lack of opportunitiesthe boys and girls do not finish high school, Vulnerability is seen a lot in the neighborhoods. The lack of employment, little access to education… the picture is thus aggravated. There is a lack of possibilities, they cannot carry out a sporting activity in many cases. They do not see a possible future for themselves and drugs are sometimes a way out to forget those evils. Thousands of kids are in that situation. If we analyze the data on poverty, indigence and unemployment, this age group is the one that suffers the most,” he explained.
The coordinating space is in Freyre Avenue at 2400receives young people from Santa Rosa de Lima, Barranquitas, Rome, Villa del Parque, a wide area.
“We work with workshops as a way to attract them, cultural, recreational, trades. The family accompanies, it happens many times that there is ignorance, there is a path through the institutions, the families do not know how to accompany, the health centers are collapsed due to this and other first-level care. Getting an appointment for psychology or psychiatry can be a month or two months. Families often do not know where to turnthat’s why we accompany them so that they get involved”.
The most consumed drugs with cocaine and marijuana, to a lesser extent paco. In general, it is not the young people who come, but a family member or friends who go spontaneously. Another part of the care they provide comes from public sectors or institutions. Scotta stressed the importance of building relationships with health centers and schools, and the possibility of forming a community network.
“From our space we work fundamentally in community prevention, but we deal with very complex situations. There are phases of consumption, the addictive phase is the most complex and that is where our professional and health team intervenes.”
Reports or cases of intoxication or death from adulterated cocaine show “the magnitude of the problem. That is why the Institutions claim is that the State at all levels have to take charge. These situations are taking place some time ago they were not seen so much, but now they are being noticed by international institutions and organizations. Months ago the United Nations Organization (UN) released a report warning of this situation. Not only has consumption increased in South America, but it is also one of the places where it is manufactured. Day by day there are thousands of kids who get into this.”
Lastly, he stressed that “we must continue working, there are spaces in the city that work very well on this problem. This is present in the territory, the institutions are willing to continue working to accompany the life projects that are truncated. They can be recovered, we believe that it can be, it is an effort and it can be achieved, we are convinced that with accompaniment it is totally possible. We have seen young people who have recovered and today are in other conditions. But there is a lack of state assistance, that is a claim we make, without resources it is very difficult.”
