OBJECTIVES: To explore and describe similarities and differences between blind men and women's perceptions of the use of illegal drugs. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted from october 2006 to march 2007 with blind men and women from an association of blind in fortaleza, ce, brazil. data were collected through interviews. the sample consisted of 7 men and 5 women. the sample size was determined through theme saturation. RESULTS: Content analysis suggested three themes: (1) what i know - participants define what illegal drug is and the scope of the problem; (2) what i experienced - they report on their personal and family experiences with the use of illegal drugs; and (3) what i think about prevention - they describe their opinions about strategies that can be used for the prevention of the use of illegal drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Illegal drugs were understood as a public health problem, affecting the user's lives and the society as a whole. relatives, friends, and the media may or may not influence the use of illegal drugs, which strengthen the relevance to address illegal drug prevention among the blind as well as health promotion activities.
Visually impaired persons; Substance-related disorders; Behavior
