title: [Marijuana, health, disease, and freedom: analysis of an Internet forum].
abstract: This paper takes a Health Education perspective to analyze a debate forum on the Brazilian Internet site entitled "Universo On-Line", in which the following questions were addressed: "Do you believe that marijuana is harmful to one's health?" "In your opinion, should marijuana use be decriminalized?" By applying qualitative discourse analysis techniques to responses from the forum, we were able to identify six main types of discourse, reflecting the opinions of six "collective subjects" concerning drugs, health, disease, and freedom and existing as social representations in the current Brazilian collective imagination. Research on these social representations allows one to establish criteria for intervention in the field of Health Education.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 715, São Paulo, SP, 01246904, Brasil. flefevre@usp.br
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lefèvre
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Simioni
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001938:Brazil; D002188:Cannabis; D005260:Female; D005610:Freedom; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse; D012907:Smoking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
vernacular_title: Maconha, saúde, doença e liberdade: análise de um fórum na Internet.