Harm reduction: analysis of the concepts that guide practices in Brazil

Abstract

This paper aimed to analyze the concepts that guide practices of Harm Reduction (HR) in Brazil. Forty six national publications were selected from 1994 to 2006, specially from LILACS database. From the central categories - object (what you want to transform) and subject (for whom the actions are directed), the analysis showed that the HR is very heterogeneous, with the unity object/subject represented by different equations: dependence-dependent; transmissible disease-drugusers of the marginalized and excluded populations; consumption-user of drugs; residents-ways of life of a particular "community", social risks and the general public; and production, trade and consumption of drugssocial class. It can be concluded that the different trends of HR have been built in Brazil as answers to problems related to the complex phenomenon of drug use, and mean the involvement of several areas and the extension of theoretical debate.