Bleary-eyed drug addicts turn out to meet prince as he tours notoriously violent 'crack capital' of São Paulo (1280 hits)
Prince Harry met recovering crack addicts and was mobbed by huge crowds in a violent São Paulo slum Luz, or Cracolândia (Crackland) as its nicknamed, is notorious for drugs, with crack available for as little as 80p An estimated one in three residents die within five years of arriving in Crackland - usually meeting violent ends The prince toured a new rehabilitation facility before being taken to meet children at the Ayrton Senna Institute
By Ruth Styles
Published: 09:57 EST, 26 June 2014 | Updated: 11:44 EST, 26 June 2014
Shambling, bleary-eyed and wrapped in tattered blankets, the drug addicted denizens of São Paulo's most notorious slum certainly aren't the average royal well-wisher.
But along with thousands of others, they joined the crowds as Prince Harry arrived in the Luz neighbourhood - known locally as Cracolândia or Crackland - to visit a new centre dedicated to rehabilitating addicts.
Surrounded by security and local police, the prince initially looked nervous as he was mobbed by crowds of tattered locals but soon began to relax - even stopping to give one policeman a hug.
But the clean up operation wasn't entirely successful. While the majority of those in the crowd cheered and waved as the prince arrived, others, too far gone to move, looked on, glassy-eyed, as the prince walked past.
One man was even seen lighting his crack pipe - a symbol of the uphill struggle faced by those attempting to tackle the city's drug epidemic.
With the prince was Fernando Haddad, São Paulo's mayor, and police chief Joao Prado Romao, both of whom were with him as he met staff at a mobile police unit.
As a large police and security presence kept order outside, Harry walked into the building and was surrounded by the workers who took his picture with their camera phones.
He chatted to reformed drug users, among them Ricardo da Silva, 34, who first began using crack when he was a young boy.
When Harry arrived, Mr da Silva was beginning his cleaning round - the first job he has ever had. 'My life was very difficult but now it's changed, I'm trying to forget the past,' he explained.
'I started to use crack when I was eight. In the past I used crack 24 hours a day but not anymore.'
Smiling, he added: 'The last time I used it was on Sunday.' Nevertheless, Mr da Silva, who spent four years on the streets of Crackland says he is turning over a new leaf.
