Sociological and spatial dynamics of an evolving Parisian open drug scene: the case of the “Colline du Crack”
ISSN: 1745-9265
Article publication date: 3 August 2021
Issue publication date: 8 September 2021
Abstract
Purpose
In November 2019, an open drug scene, commonly called “Colline du crack” and located in Paris was forcibly closed after 10 years of existence. This paper aims to understand how that space has evolved over the years to become a major hub for drug use.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a qualitative approach that included interviews with 52 people who use drugs (PWUD) and 54 field professionals and ethnographic observations. The authors asked questions about the evolution of the major sites of crack visibility in Paris and about social representations related to these spaces. They compared their datas with datas drawn from gray literature.
Findings
La Colline emerged on an isolated slope, away from police repression and local anti-crack organizations. In the beginning, it was a discrete, communal space regulated by PWUD. Starting in 2015, social transformations in the neighborhood turned la Colline into a central hub for dealing and using crack. La Colline became an open scene which led to its evacuation in 2019.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to literature on community building of drug consumers. The authors are also using a wide variety of methodological tools.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is based on research called crack in Ile-de-France in collaboration with the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT). It was funded by la Mission Métropolitaine de Prévention des Conduites à Risque, l'Agence Régionale de Santé d'Ile de France et la Mildeca-Ile de France.The paper was translated by Camille Blanc.
Citation
Jangal, C., Lovera, M., Dambélé, S. and Jauffret-Roustide, M. (2021), "Sociological and spatial dynamics of an evolving Parisian open drug scene: the case of the “Colline du Crack”", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 213-224. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-02-2021-0010
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited