the 
junkie 
chronicles - A Series Of Opiate Enthusiasts. 


WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT:


Series 1 - Junkie Jay

Last week we hung out with a smack head called Jay. A 22 year old Heroin addict currently living on a council estate in North London. We spent 4 hours with Jay on a cold January morning. It was a Tuesday. Upon arrival to the estate, he was "clucking" and in need of his morning fix. He repeatedly asked if he could "lend a tenner" and we repeatedly told him to "fuck off". Clucking, regarded as pain worse than labour, is a term used by Heroin addicts when they are withdrawing from, and in need of, Heroin.



 
Jay sulks and stares out of his 9th floor window contemplating ways to get money so he can go and score some skag.

After 2 hours he finally gets money off his Mum to go and score. Here, he cooks up his Heroin.




After drawing up the Heroin into his needle, Jay checks the syringe with Military precision for any bits of residue that may have not fully dissolved. The outcome of such an injection would result in what junkies refer to as a "dirty hit".




Shooting Heroin. 2014. Tottenham. London.




Jay misses. Instead of injecting the Heroin into his vein, he accidentally misses the vein and shoots the poisonous liquid straight into the soft tissue in his forearm causing a severe burning sensation. This is the most common cause for abscesses amongst junkies.

After almost 45 minutes Jay finally shoots his skag. Relieved, he smiles and smokes a roll up claiming the Heroin was "fucking dynamite".

By the time we're leaving, Jay is on the phone again to his Mum trying to blag more money to go and score more Heroin.

The increase of Heroin addiction has surged quite dramatically over the past 2 years, particularly in towns worst hit by the recession. After spending time with the junkies of Blackpool, it was clear that Heroin use amongst 18-24 year olds is now more common than Cocaine use. This is due to the availability of the drug, it's crossover into suburban life and its price. £10 will get you 0.2 grams with a purity of around 46%. That's twice the potency of the smack that was flooding Britain back in 2010. Dealers are no longer the junkie scumbags meeting you round the back of Tesco's. They're non-addicts, young businessman, serving you in brand new BMW's. The streets are flooded with brown powder and the chances of your neighbour being a smack enthusiast are higher than ever.

The poppy powder revolution lingers like the stench of it's ambassadors. Will you be next?


Photos: Ashton Tamburro
Words: Ashton Tamburro

Special thanks to Jay. 



© 2014 Ashton Tamburro                                                                                                                      ashtamburro.blogspot.com
All rights reserved