Historical Revision of Socio-therapeutic Approaches to DrugConsumption in Argentina

Abstract

In this article, we present a chronological framework of the approaches for the treatment of drug consumption in Argentina. We also analyze the links between these responses and the changes in the social perception of drug users and the legal regulations that collaborate in those constructions. To delimit the stages, we consider the approaches that were developed both from the civil society and the state as the main factor. We identified four stages. The first one (1966-1982) is marked by the emergency of a series of state and civil society institutions, forerunners in providing specific treatment for drug consumption. The second stage (1983-1988) begins with the democratic restoration in Argentina and the consequent extension of civil liberties. In this context, governmental and non-governmental initiatives emerged that adopted the methodology of therapeutic community and an abstentionist perspective. The third stage (1989-2007) corresponds to the massification of drug use and the consequent proliferation of treatment centers. Finally, during the fourth stage (from 2008 to the present) some initiatives oriented towards the improvement of the social inclusion of drug users have emerged.