Street kids: a drug-use related glance to themselves.

"Street kids" can be found in the daily routine of the metropolitan area of Mexico City: in subway stations, in bus terminals, living under a bridge o r inside sewers. The are the result of human action, of the social, economi c, political and cultural situation of our society. These kids survive in t he street in harmful and hazardous conditions; they make marginal economy a ctivities and frequently consume some type of drug, mainly solvent inhalant s that damage their physical and mental health. The present research work is an approach to the life conditions of the "str eet kids" and to the their vision of themselves in relation with their real ity. For achieving this objective it a nine month field work was necessary in orden to establish a direct relation with a group to twenty male miners that lived and performed their activities near the Tacuba subway station in Mexico City. We gathered as much information as possible in relation to th eir lives on the street and at school, and on their family of origin. Among other issues, the type of relation they have with their social enviro nment; their different activities and their behaviour among them selves and in front of others was observed. Using recorded in depth interviews we tri ed to find out in detail what cosmovision they have of their own reality, b y gathering information on their way of thinking, what they think and the c ontent of their thoughts. We also tried to identify their slang which is li nked to their own identity; and also the meaning they give to drugs.