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Inside the heart of America’s addiction epidemic: Stirring photos capture the Philadelphia suburb crippled by opioids, heroin and fentanyl
Inside the heart of America’s addiction epidemic: Stirring photos capture the Philadelphia suburb crippled by opioids, heroin and fentanyl
- Jeffrey Stockbridge has spent years documenting Kensington Avenue in Philadelphia
- The street is the city’s poor suburb which offers a glimpse of what the drug addiction epidemic has caused
- More than half of residents of Kensington live below the poverty line, and half of those are in extreme poverty
- Stockbridge says he came across the Kensington community and its residents by accident
Drugs killed more Americans last year than died in the Vietnam War.
Tens of thousands of people have become hooked on prescription painkillers after operations, childbirth, and injuries.
The highly-addictive and expensive pills have driven many to seek cheaper cut-price alternatives like heroin and fentanyl on the street.
Usually, that means delving into a world like Philadelphia’s Kensington Avenue, home to the usual suspects of a down-and-out neighborhood (sex workers, homeless veterans, drop-outs) who come from all over the country, according to the DEA.
Experts advising the federal government warn that any moves to drive down painkiller prescriptions will be futile if street-cut opioids are still as accessible as sugar, and the ones who succumb to them are left to flounder.
Matt Neal was battling addiction after leaving jail, and contracted MRSA (sepsis) in his left leg. Due to his addiction, he couldn’t keep up with his treatment regimen and despite in-patient care, doctors eventually amputated his left calf. He was one of Jeffrey Stockbridge’s first subjects on Kensington Avenue, and is now one of the first in his next project: recovering
Before: Matt Neal (left) was part of Stockbridge’s series in 2012, pictured here with his friend Gato outside the library
Tanya sits on the steps of the El Train at Kensington and Somerset in 2010. The 25-year-old said she has been escorting with an agency since she was 18 and does a bag of dope every morning before she leaves the house
A man named Vinny is pictured above in 2011 showing off his numerous tattoos on his chest and arms
It means this photo series – a years-long project by Jeffrey Stockbridge documenting heroin addicts along Kensington Avenue – has been gradually gaining traction.
The collection of large-format portraits started on a blog, photographing people in various binds of addiction, homelessness and crime, with short annotations about their journey.
While most urban areas are starting to curb addiction, Philadelphia – America’s largest poorest city – is still seeing an unwavering increase.
More than half of the residents of Kensington live below the poverty line, and half of those are in extreme poverty.
And business is booming……more here
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