Crack epidemic in Brazil

A young suspected crack user covers his face as he is escorted by a social worker to a waiting van near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012. Health officials are locating and treating hundreds of crack addicts suddenly left without drugs after police occupied dangerous slums where the users congregated in masses to buy and smoke the potent drug.

A young suspected crack user covers her face as she is escorted by a social worker to a waiting van near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012. The crew of social workers, psychologists and police rounded up drug users found in the streets and took them to shelters. The adults don't have to stay and the majority leave as soon as they've had a meal and a shower.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo leans against a wall after smoking crack in his home at a slum in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With a boom in crack use over the past decade, Brazilian authorities are struggling to help such users and stop the drug's spread, sparking a debate over the legality and efficiency of forcibly interning users. Human rights organizations in Rio oppose the forced commitment of children by the crews, saying the raids are violent and treatment delivered against the will of patients is ineffective.

A young suspected crack user reacts as she sits inside a van waiting to be taken to a shelter after being removed from the streets by social workers, near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012. The South American country began experiencing a public health emergency in recent years as demand for crack boomed and open-air "cracolandias" -- or crack lands -- popped up in the sprawling urban centers of Rio and Sao Paulo, with hundreds of users gathering to smoke the drug. Brazil's government announced in early 2012 that more than $2 billion would be spent to fight the epidemic, with the money spent to train local health care workers, purchase thousands of hospital and shelter beds for emergency treatment and create transitional centers for recovering users.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, a young alleged crack addict is surrounded by officials during a raid to take addicts to a nearby shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While some people go meekly, many fight, cry and scream out in desperation in their altered states. Once evicted, their paltry belongings, ratty mattresses, pans, sweaters, are swept up by a garbage removal company. With a boom in crack use over the past decade, Brazilian authorities are struggling to help such users and stop the drug's spread, sparking a debate over the legality and efficiency of forcibly interning users. Adults can't be forced to stay in treatment, and most leave the shelters within three days.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo sits on an armchair after collecting recyclables at a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Suspected crack users sit inside a van as they wait to be taken to a shelter after being removed from the streets by social workers near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, an alleged crack addict lies on a makeshift bed made from a cardboard box in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A social worker, center, holds up a piece of metal siding as a suspected drug user crawls under a fence to a waiting van near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012. The South American country began experiencing a public health emergency in recent years as demand for crack boomed and open-air "cracolandias" -- or crack lands -- popped up in the sprawling urban centers of Rio and Sao Paulo, with hundreds of users gathering to smoke the drug.

A suspected crack user walks with social workers and police to a waiting van near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012.

A welfare worker escorts a young suspected crack user to a waiting van that will drive him to a shelter, near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012. Human rights organizations in Rio oppose the forced commitment of children by the crews, saying the raids are violent and treatment delivered against the will of patients is ineffective.

Suspected crack users sit inside a van as they wait to be taken to a shelter after being removed from the streets by social workers near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012.

A suspected crack user, center, walks with social workers and police to a waiting van near the Parque Uniao slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Oct. 17, 2012.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, a young alleged crack addict plays checkers with a social worker, left, at a shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo sells recyclables he collected on the streets at a scrapyard in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bobo spends his day sorting through trash for recyclables to sell. At night, he turns the day's profit into crack. With a boom in crack use over the past decade, Brazilian authorities are struggling to help such users and stop the drug's spread, sparking a debate over the legality and efficiency of forcibly interning users.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo smokes crack in his home at a slum in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Bobo spends his day sorting through trash for recyclables to sell.

In this photo taken Nov. 22, 2012, an alleged crack addict, second from right, tries to bite a social worker as she is taken to a nearby shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Health officials are locating and treating hundreds of crack addicts suddenly left without drugs after police occupied dangerous slums where the users congregated in masses to buy and smoke the potent drug.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo smokes crack in his home at a slum in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 8, 2012, alleged crack addicts gather at a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With a boom in crack use over the past decade, Brazilian authorities are struggling to help users and stop the drug's spread, sparking a debate over the legality and efficiency of forcibly interning users.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo, right, buys crack, in right hand, and cocaine on the street in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, a woman, left, and a man smoke crack in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The city will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

In this photo taken Nov. 22, 2012, an alleged crack addict, center, reacts as a social worker tries to calm her during a raid to take addicts to a nearby shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 8, 2012, a man hold narcotics at a drug selling point in a slum of western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, police officers surround alleged crack addicts during a raid to take them to a nearby shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 8, 2012, a man smokes crack at a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Nov. 29, 2012, a boy, allegedly addicted to crack, sleeps into an official vehicle as he is taken to a shelter in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 8, 2012, a drug dealer smiles for pictures at a drug selling point in a slum of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 8, 2012, a young drug dealer holds a weapon and a two-way radio at a slum in western Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Dec. 21, 2012, former soldier Bobo pushes his cart containing recyclables he collected at a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In this photo taken Nov. 22, 2012, an alleged crack addict checks an out-of-commission laptop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.