YOUTH LABOR IN DRUG TRAFFICKING AS PART OF THE LOWER CIRCUIT OF THE URBAN RURAL ECONOMY

Abstract

This study examines the incorporation of drug trafficking into rural regions undergoing urbanization, with a focus on the Bela Vista community in Boqueirão, Paraíba, Brazil. Employing a qualitative methodology based on participant observation and in-depth interviews with young individuals engaged in the sale of illicit drugs, the research demonstrates that trafficking operates as part of the "lower circuits" of the urban economy, serving as a survival strategy in contexts of social and economic vulnerability. Findings indicate that these youths frequently view their involvement in trafficking as an extension of their productive activities, often linking it to the scarcity of formal employment opportunities and to family pressures. Moreover, drug consumption—facilitated by the work environment itself—emerges both as a coping mechanism for suffering and as a means to enhance productivity, thereby reinforcing the cycle of vulnerability. The study further underscores the interconnections among trafficking, criminal factions, and urbanization processes, showing how these informal economic practices are intertwined with the social and territorial transformations of these communities, ultimately challenging the notion that these young people exist at the margins of society.