Jóvenes consumidores de sustancias ilegalizadas en sectores populares: la centralidad de la calle y su relación con las instituciones

In this chapter, we present an analysis of the relationship established by young people from low-income sectors by comparing two different groups: one group is made up of young people who have passed through treatment centers for problematic consumption in Mexico City, and the other is made up of young people who consume marijuana in public spaces. From the stories we collected, one striking feature emerges: these marginalized young people come into contact with agents of various institutions of control (police, judges, social workers, teachers) throughout their lives, leading them to play a sometimes very central role in their personal trajectories.