THE PRISON SYSTEM, APAC, TOBACCO USE AND ABSTINENCE: THE POSSIBLE PATHS THAT EDUCATION CAN TAKE

Abstract

Smoking is a socially determined phenomenon, permeated by structural inequalities, exclusion, and power dynamics. Following Foucault, it is argued that the smoking bodyespecially in contexts of vulnerability such as urban peripheries and the prison system is disciplined, stigmatized, and rendered invisible by public policies. We aim to analyze tobacco use in a prison setting. We analyze smoking from the perspective of Foucaultian philosophy, the sociology of health, and public health. Beyond individual choice, the act of smoking is a socially determined phenomenon, permeated by structural inequalities, exclusion, and power dynamics. Following Foucault, it is argued that the smoking body especially in contexts of vulnerability such as urban peripheries and the prison system is disciplined, stigmatized, and rendered invisible by public policies. Official data indicate that smoking prevails in socially marginalized groups, serving as a means of psychological relief in the face of daily deprivations. The analysis of the prohibition of cigarettes in a prison highlights how public health measures can operate as mechanisms of control and docilization of bodies, reinforcing logics of punishment under the discourse of prophylaxis. Addressing smoking requires inclusive, ethical policies that are sensitive to the social conditions of individuals, prioritizing self-care over blame or exclusion.