53% of victims of violent deaths used alcohol or drugs before dying

A study carried out by researchers at USP (University of São Paulo) found that 53% of victims of violent deaths in Brazilian capitals tested positive for the use of alcohol or psychoactive substances before death.

The survey, recently published in the scientific journal Toxics, analyzed blood samples from 3,577 victims in Belém (PA), Recife (PE), Vitória (ES) and Curitiba (PR), covering the North, Northeast, Southeast and South regions of the country, respectively.

The research mapped the demographic profile of victims whose deaths occurred between March 2022 and June 2024. The data reveals that the majority were men (approximately 90%) and that 56% were aged 30 or over.

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Of the total number of registered cases, homicides are the leading cause of death, representing 67.3% of deaths, followed by traffic accidents (14.7%) and suicides (9.2%).

According to Henrique Silva Bombana, biomedical toxicologist at FCF-USP (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at USP) and main author of the study, the presence of cocaine was significant in homicide cases, affecting 36% of these victims. Police found that around 85% of these deaths resulted from gunshot wounds.

In the road scenario, alcohol is consolidated as the main substance, being detected in 38% of those killed in traffic accidents.

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In cases of suicide, there was a strong predominance of the use of psychoactive medications, such as benzodiazepines, which appeared in more than 20% of victims in this group, raising an alert for self-medication and vulnerability in mental health.

The survey, carried out through an agreement with Senad (National Secretariat for Drug Policies and Asset Management) of the Ministry of Justice, also highlighted striking regional disparities.

The geographic distribution of fatal occurrences revealed that the cities of Belém and Vitória recorded a higher concentration of deaths linked to the exclusive use of illicit drugs.

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In contrast, Recife presented a strong predominance of deaths associated with alcohol, and in Curitiba alcohol consumption also stood out in relation to drugs.

According to the study, the differences highlight the impact of drug trafficking routes, especially in the Amazon region, and the cultural particularities of each metropolis.

The authors emphasize that, as it is a cross-sectional study, the research points to "consistent signs of risk" rather than a direct causal relationship.

The consumption of psychoactive substances can precipitate fatal scenarios by inserting the individual into an extremely dangerous illegal market (structural violence) or causing inconsequential actions, such as driving vehicles under the influence of substances.

The team concludes that this high prevalence and the heterogeneity of regions require tailored interventions from public authorities, suggesting that an approach based on public health and harm reduction policies would be more effective than purely repressive or criminalizing models.

Source: CNN