GENERATION CRACK
Haunting photos expose desperate plight of crack addicts struggling on London council estates
With all their focus on their next fix these drug users are reduced to living in squalid surroundings
THE desperate plight of drug addicts in the capital are laid bare in these haunting photos.
They show crack users from three council estates living in squalid surroundings.
Musicians Rupert and Joe rely on benefits to fund their habits while living in a friend’s house near Kilburn, north London.
Sheila and Andy have been addicts for 35 years and now rarely leave the multi-million pound property in Kensington High Street, they squat in.
And in nearby Harrow Road homeless user Mark has been reduced to bedding down in a wheelie bin.
Without access to benefits the long-term user struggles on a daily basis to get enough money for his daily fix.
The photos were taken by reportage photographer Marco Sconocchia. Visit his website here.
Sprawled Out
Marco Sconocchia
Musicians Rupert, (left) and Joe (right) live with a friend (centre) in a council house in Kilburn, north London
Bathroom Blitz
A naked drug user takes a toke from a pipe while sat on a toilet in a Kilburn council house
Piping Up
Marco Sconocchia
The pair use their benefits to fund their drug-taking
Staring Into Space
Marco Sconocchia
Crack users Rupert, (left) and Joe (right) stare vacantly into the middle distance
Bedlam
Marco Sconocchia
Joe has a smoke in a filthy bedroom of the council home he calls home in Kilburn
Cat Nap
Marco Sconocchia
A pair of cats relax while long-term user Andy lies strung out in a filthy living room
Make-up Time
Marco Sconocchia
Sheila has been taking drugs for 35 years alongside her partner Andy
High On Their Own Supply
Marco Sconocchia
Sheila and Andy take drugs in the bedroom of the multi-million pound Kensington home they squat in
Jesus Loves You
Marco Sconocchia
A crucifix with the words I Love you is attached to a wall which has wallpaper peeling from it
Kitchen Nightmare
Marco Sconocchia
The kitchen in Andy and Sheila’s home is encrusted in filth and grime
Chill Wind
Marco Sconocchia
Andy and Sheila’s bare fridge indicates that their focus is rarely on food
Cat-astrophe
Marco Sconocchia
A black cat peeks from a staircase in Andy and Sheila’s home, which is missing its banister
Cracking-up
Marco Sconocchia
Drug paraphernalia including a makeshift crack pipe fashioned from a glass bottle litter this table
Room With A View
Marco Sconocchia
The smart nearby properties of upmarket Kensington can be seen from an upstairs window of Andy and Sheila’s home
Oh Baby
Marco Sconocchia
A bottle of syrup stands next to a collection of baby photos on a grimy wall
The Real Thing
Marco Sconocchia
An empty blackboard with a Coca-Cola design is pinned to a wall
Meeting Of Minds
Marco Sconocchia
Homeless addict Mark chats to a woman on the streets of Harrow Road, which he calls home
Bedding Down
Marco Sconocchia
Homeless Mark has been reduced to sleeping in wheelie bins
Walkway Of Despair
Marco Sconocchia
Mark often beds down in exposed walkways of a west London council estate
High Up
Marco Sconocchia
Mark enjoys a hit of crack on a council estate walkway in Harrow Road
Inking High
Marco Sconocchia
One drug user shows off an intricate tattoo of the celebrated Trellick Tower in Kensal Green, London
Estate Of Mind
Marco Sconocchia
Reportage photographer Marco Sconocchia followed crack users from three council estates
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