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The Government of São Paulo, in collaboration with the city of São Paulo, hosted the First Latin American Symposium on Drug Policies on Monday (8) at the Memorial da América Latina. The event brought together experts from Brazil, Argentina, and Peru to showcase São Paulo’s model, which has eliminated open drug use scenes in the city center. Discussions centered on holistic care strategies, prevention, social protection, public safety, and urban revitalization.
With an audience comprising civil society professionals, municipal and state managers, as well as health, social assistance, and human rights teams, the symposium aimed to share evidence and experiences that inform the restructuring of drug policies in São Paulo.
READ MORE: How the assault on the financial structure of organized crime led to the end of Cracolândia
Since 2023, the State Drug Policy has been formally established and is overseen by Vice Governor Felicio Ramuth. This initiative involves direct collaboration among 22 state and municipal secretaries via the Integrated Actions Protocol. It includes formal planning and evaluation bodies, such as a Technical-Scientific Committee responsible for proposing actions and measuring performance. The model also features a dedicated technical nucleus for monitoring and improving field actions, alongside a case monitoring unit (NAC) and public safety working groups coordinated by both the state and city governments.
The symposium focused on sharing evidence and experiences that support the restructuring of drug policies in São Paulo.
Integrated Governance and a Human-Centered Approach
Vice Governor Felício Ramuth emphasized that progress in addressing open drug scenes in São Paulo was made possible through collaboration between the city and state governments. He noted that coordination across health, social assistance, public safety, and housing sectors has been crucial in solidifying a joint plan initiated in March 2023. “We’re developing a public policy that understands the complexities of the issue and addresses all fronts,” he stated. “Partnership and integration among government sectors are essential not only for providing care and support but also for strengthening the fight against organized crime, which profits from these families’ suffering.”
Andrezza Rosalém, the State Secretary of Social Development, underscored the importance of integrating health, public safety, and social development. “What we are building in São Paulo shows it’s possible to tackle the drug challenge with humanity, responsibility, and tangible results derived from scientific evidence. This integrated effort restores dignity to those in need and transforms the reality of our city center day by day,” she asserted.
Open Scenes: São Paulo’s Model as a Benchmark
In just over six months, integrated state actions have resulted in the dissolution of the country’s largest open drug scene. Sociologist Gleuda Apolinário, a technical advisor in the Vice Governor’s office, discussed how effective governance planning was crucial.
“The greatest challenge we face is how we relate to human beings. This professional and human connection must resonate in practice. Open drug scenes can emerge in any territory; what distinguishes the approach is how it’s managed as a public policy,” she explained.
Gleuda mentioned that São Paulo’s model established a priority territory, intersectoral integration, data transparency, and network reorganization: “It was vital to have information systems and data sharing, even with public safety. The entire strategy and actions carried out show that overcoming the issue is possible, and this model can be replicated in any region.”
Enhancing Care: Increased Capacity, Monitoring, and Evidence-Based Management
A key point of the symposium was the introduction of the Crack and Other Drugs Care HUB, led by Quirino Cordeiro. The HUB represents a major innovation in the state’s drug policy, coordinating psychosocial support with triage, therapeutic groups, medical care, and referrals to specialized hospital beds for detoxification. Over two years of operation, there have been more than 30,000 referrals to specialized hospitals and therapeutic communities.
Cordeiro expounded on the concept of resilient management applied to health services that specialize in severe substance use cases. “The goal is to lower access barriers, offering a broad array of care, especially for individuals who frequented the old open drug scene in the Luz area,” he noted.
He highlighted the reorganization of the network, modernization of services, and substantial increase in service capacity through the application of intelligence in human-centered care: “When the old service existed, there were 20 stabilization beds. Early in the administration, we increased to 40, then to 60, and now we’re projected to reach 80 beds. This was only possible through ongoing data collection.”
According to him, this monitoring has also allowed for adjustments in patient flows, reducing premature discharges and improving therapeutic retention. “Initially, only a third of patients completed their treatment; today, about two-thirds finish the therapeutic program. Generating information is crucial for supporting effective public policies.”
Cordeiro also reaffirmed the HUB’s role as a clinical stabilization entry point: “We receive patients in severe vulnerability, stabilize them, and promptly refer them to hospitals or community services as needed. It’s a hub for qualified care.”
Social Protection and Regaining Autonomy
Eliana Borges, Director of Drug Policies at the Social Development Department, presented the Therapeutic House Complexes and Therapeutic Accommodation Services (SAT), foundational elements of the new state model. “We’ve developed a new management model with facilities designed thoughtfully, where each person is embraced for their uniqueness. Witnessing these individuals reclaim their life projects and reintegrate with their families motivates us,” she stated.
The current administration has launched 13 Therapeutic House Complexes: 9 in the capital, 1 in Guarulhos, 1 in Osasco, and 2 in São José do Rio Preto, with an investment of approximately R$ 50 million. Together, they have the capacity to serve 585 individuals.
Fernando Salazar, a professor at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia, emphasized the significance of scientific evidence in drug use prevention. This is a cornerstone of the initiatives by professionals in the Prevenir space, as highlighted by Secretary Andrezza Rosalém: “Our care also includes facilitating the autonomy of those we assist, along with relapse prevention, and support for individuals and families within the community,” she affirmed.
READ MORE: Understand how the cessation of the user flow contributed to the drop in thefts in central SP
Public Safety and Urban Revitalization
The symposium also explored innovative public safety and urban revitalization strategies implemented by the São Paulo government with the support of the city. Representatives from the Military Police, Civil Police, Municipal Guard, and the Secretary of Municipal Subprefectures discussed how the management has successfully dismantled the criminal ecosystem in the area.
Public safety authorities indicated that a key turning point in addressing the flow was a strategic shift: rather than just acting on open drug scenes, the state began dismantling the structures that sustained the problem. Investigations uncovered a network of hotels, inns, and scrapyards that served as logistic hubs for trafficking, drug storage, and sales operations, moving funds incompatible with their activities and functioning as money-laundering mechanisms for organized crime.
With the financial mapping completed, the Civil Police could target the ecosystem sustaining the flow. The Downtown Operation, launched in 2023, included five phases, with its broadest stage in June last year executing 140 search and seizure warrants, judicially closing 28 hotels, arresting 15 suspects, and blocking over R$ 200 million, effectively disrupting the criminal machinery that facilitated user circulation in the city center.
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