El estereotipo de "heroinómano" como chivo expiatorio del consumo de drogas normalizado: estigma y personas con drogodependencias

Drug control supported by the hegemonic prohibitionist model, has criminalized and, consequently, stigmatized its users. The purpose of this research is to show the reader the elements involved in the construction of the social stigma suffered by people who use drugs, including the analysis of the perception of drug users in residential drug treatment. For this, a descriptive qualitative study was carried out based on the analysis of transcripts of semi-structured interviews, in which five patients participated. The main results indicate that the participants perceive the stigma that weighs on them from society (extrinsic) and also detect the elements that generate stigma towards themselves (intrinsic). In conclusion, the stigma towards people who use drug (PWUD) has its origin in the
prohibitionist model and arbitrarily discriminates against certain drug use by certain individuals, especially in situations of marginality and poverty. It is necessary to include work with prejudice, stereotype, and stigma that weighs on PWUD in order to improve professional practice, especially from social education.