'Swansea Love Story': An Up-Close Look At The Life Of UK Drug Addicts (VIDEO)

Vice Magazine's Andy Capper and Leo Leigh have produced a moving film that documents young lives in an economically ravaged area of South Wales.

Capper states that the film, titled "Swansea Love Story," was designed to show the human reality of drug addiction. "I wanted to make this film because we were tired of seeing homeless young people being portrayed as little more than statistics," he said.

"Documentaries about drug use often come out pious and fail to really get to know the people behind the drug usage. We wanted to show what it was like to live on the street, under the grip of heroin, as realistically as possible."

The film will be shown in six parts on the VBS.TV website.

WATCH the first part of the documentary below. WARNING the film contains graphic images of drug use.

Comments

[Balzac]

01:40 AM on 02/17/2010

This video should serve as a warning to those who have not yet begun to use heroin. Of all addictive substances, this is the most popular one I have not tried, and I have no intention of trying.

The use of the needle is clearly a dangerous complication which leads to many transmissions of HIV and hepatitis, among others. Addicts should have clean needles. Aside from this risk, apparently this punishes one's liver and can shut down the digestive tract. People lose long periods of time just lying around. It's much worse than merely smoking opium, and China suffered quite a bit with their opium dens.

It's surprising to see this problem among such young people in a small town in Wales. Clearly, their city is having a problem figuring out what to do about their addiction. Addicts need to be re-integrated into society. They should have drugs to treat their addiction and social programs to bring them back from the brink of self destruction. The reason people form these destructive habits is lack of opportunity and ignorance on the way drugs will affect them.

[shininglight77]

10:42 AM on 02/17/2010

they have no God, he will help them fight their addiction.

[alwqb]

08:01 PM on 02/16/2010

wow... I just watched 5 episodes. That is intense and gut wrenching. Heroin addiction is ugly and these poor people are doomed at birth. Afghanistan was not the leading producer of heroin before the United States invaded which makes this all the more disturbing. Riveting, this will stay with me for awhile and I can't wait for episode 6.

[terminallycharged]

05:31 PM on 02/16/2010

They are the last link of a chain that begins in countires like Afganisthan. As you can see the fact that is illegal does not stop them of doing it. But it makes a lot of middle men, including people working in the police and in the goverment, very rich.

[kmdippenger]

06:55 PM on 02/16/2010

These people profiting from selling heroin usually don't use it themselves, they're very clever predators.

[Tulka2]

05:08 PM on 02/16/2010

My heart breaks for a world that thinks these kids are disposable. A world that never told them WE NEED YOU. WE NEED YOU. We need you.

May all beings be happy; may all beings have cause to be happy.

[SpaghettyIrish]

04:07 PM on 02/16/2010

A heartbreaking study into the dysfunction of the lumpenproletariat.

[chomedey]

03:11 PM on 02/16/2010

Heroin addict life is hell on earth

[fcsakes]

02:49 PM on 02/16/2010

Oh here's an idea, don't stick it in your arm to start with.

[juanjo]

04:44 PM on 02/16/2010

Quite but a rather dramatic oversimplification of the issue. Addiction is a complex matter whether it is heroin, alcohol or some other drug. When one looks back in the history of these kids, one typically finds a series of incidents including molestation, physical abuse and mental illness. I have worked as a mentor for street youth, including addicts for a number of years. The background of so many of these youth contains incidents that would stun you. It does not excuse the behaviour but it does explain it. Sadly once caught up in the cycle, getting out is very hard. It is a short life, full of hardship, pain and violence. Many people prey on these youth, abusing them sexually, not just the females either and using them to commit crimes which benefit the exploiter.

[kmdippenger]

04:58 PM on 02/16/2010

Thank you. It doesn't help any that our society doesn't have the means to help these kids, instead circumstances put them into our criminal justice system where the cycle is perpetuated.

[kmdippenger]

04:45 PM on 02/16/2010

Sounds simple and easy, I wish it had been that clear for my nephew who has been addicted for 10 years now (he's 27). The story of how a young man turns himself from a person of amazing promise to a shell of a person, living on the streets trying to scrounge his next fix is not so easily understood.