August 16, 2016. Brazil (ONN) When discussing the issue of drugs within the sports industry, it is usually regarding the usage of these substances by athletes in order to increase their performances. With this year’s summer Olympics taking place in Rio, Brazil, a different discussion on the topic of drugs is being had by athletes and journalists alike. Unfortunately, Rio streets are plagued with an unfortunate drug problem, one which inflicts a great portion of local residents all over the city. As Rio hosts the Olympic Games and aims to project an image of hope and joy, its streets are posing quite the unfortunate contradiction. Given that, what might this mean for this year’s Olympic Games and for the people of Rio, as a whole?

What’s Happening in Rio?

Rio de Janeiro possesses a high rate of violent crimes, many of which stem from the drug trade and alcoholism that permeates the community. In fact, the streets just outside of Maracana Stadium, where the opening ceremony took place last week, are crowded with cocaine addicts and alcoholics. Prostitutes, addicts, dealers and gang members walk these streets looking to sell, buy and consume drugs in open sight. The blatant visibility of the drug culture in the streets of Rio are known as the Cracklands, and it  is what makes the problem all that much more staggering and concerning.

Top luxury beach rehab centres within North America, such as luxurybeachrehab.com, strive to help people like the addicts in Brazil with such problems. These sorts of reputable rehab centres are accessible in North America and cater to addicts of all sorts, but the kinds of addicts found in Brazil are dealing with a societal problem that has been difficult to undo. The problem in Brazil is pervasive and is difficult to solve since illegal drugs such as cocaine are readily available throughout the country. Crack is sold for as little as just a couple of dollars per rock, and this leads to drug consumption on a greater scale. As such, the government has trouble controlling the rates of addiction and keeping addicts at bay for longer periods of time.

What About the Olympics, though?

The Olympics represent money for addicts and drug dealers, alike. With more people coming into Rio to watch the games, it is believed that more money will be spent on drugs. Tourists will come into the city and spend money, which means this leaves room for money spent on drugs by addicts. The cans and bottles discarded by tourists can be exchanged for money which will then be spent on drugs. This dynamic poses quite the problem for an event like the Olympic Games, as the message should be one of health, prosperity and hope. With tourists and athletes walking the streets of Rio throughout the event, the visibility of drugs playing an obvious role in fabric of the society is a blatant one. Residents believe this might taint the image of their beloved city, while athletes are concerned with how this might tarnish their own image. There is no question that the issue is real and remains a serious one as the Olympics are now in full swing.

As far as the Olympic Games go, the notion of bringing life and happiness into a city that is otherwise suffering from a pervasive problem, is one that needs to be at the forefront of the discussion. The drug problem is certainly not to be ignored, but can be overlooked during this special time for the city. As such, while residents, tourists, athletes and journalists continue their conversation on Rio’s drug issue having an impact on the Olympic Games, we can hopefully sit back and enjoy this spectacular event for what it has to offer for the time being.