Rio’s Mayor Enacts Decree to Hospitalize Homeless Drug Addicts

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio Mayoralty published on Monday, August 5th, the decree detailing the care actions for street dwelling drug users, which in some cases provides for compulsory hospitalization.

This regulation is valid for the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, based on a federal decree in June by president Jair Bolsonaro.

The measure was announced eight days after two people were stabbed to death by a homeless individual in Lagoa, in Rio’s South Zone. Five other people were injured in the attack, including the girlfriend of one of the victims, who was also stabbed.

Rio’s city hall does not have an updated census of the number of street dwellers in the city or how many of them have drug-related problems. The most recent data are from three years ago, under the prior administration.

A survey by the city’s Public Defender’s Office estimates that there are at least 15,000 people on the streets. Last week, GloboNews showed that the 63 active shelters could only serve 2,300 people — less than 15 percent of the total.

The regulation retains essential aspects of Bolsonaro’s decree:

• involuntary hospitalization may only be carried out in health units and general hospitals;
• this method will only be applied if it is proven that there is no therapeutic alternative;
• hospitalization will be subject to the approval of a competent physician and for a maximum period of 90 days, which is considered necessary for rehabilitation;
• a petition for the addict to be hospitalized may be submitted by the family or the legal guardian; in the absence of either, the request may be submitted by a health care provider;
• a family or legal representative may, at any time during this period, request the provider to interrupt treatment.

The law also provides for the establishment of a municipal Registry of the homeless population in order to determine their social background.