Benjamin, October 2013 – I ran into Ben today. He was up to his usual simple life – score, inject, score, inject, score… The junkie life is relatively simple, yet extremely difficult.
Blood rolls through syringe’s chamber wall like dark storm clouds across the urban prairie. Inner-child jolts with excitement in anticipation of Euphoria’s holy comfort – upon arrival, junkie eyes fall back into their sockets. It’s all over now. Some junkies never wake from their nod.
Don’t do junk! The number one message that Heroin addicts wish for me to pass along is: “Don’t Do Junk!” Don’t think that you can just snort heroin one time, it’s NOT worth the risk. That one time, soon turns into fifty – fifty turns into injection rather than snorting. Six months later, you look back and wonder what the fuck happened…
I have been working on a Heroin addiction photography project here in Chicago for the past six months. During this time, I have come to know several addicts on a deep and personal level. We’ve built a relationship, and are working together to tell their story. These photos on my blog are but a small glimpse into the dark and dirty world of Heroin addiction.