A few years ago, Crackland was confined to just a few blocks in São Paulo. Unfortunately, poor political decision-making perceived the issue as localized and simply a means to attract more people to drug use, exacerbating the problem. As a result, a significant population, living in their isolated world, was forcibly displaced, spreading throughout the entire city. Insufficient social assistance, a financial crisis, a global pandemic, and other factors have contributed to the proliferation of small groups of drug addicts and vulnerable individuals forming larger communities across the city. This has led to a distressing escalation of violence in numerous neighborhoods, leaving many residents living in constant fear.

I travelled for several months in Brazil this year and the Sao Paulo situation is incredibly sad. There is an entire neighborhood known as Crackolandia and there already is even New Crackolandia. Many downtown locations is super sketchy during the day and full blown no go zones after dark. The number of completely destroyed human beings just laying on the streets and sidewalks is mind boggling.

Props to that psychiatrist. It’s a very creative way to approach this problem.