The impact of the so-called "cracklands", in São Paulo and Los Angeles, in photos by Apu Gomes
Showing the real crackdown power of crack was the main objective of the photographer Apu Gomes as he immersed himself in the world of the cheapest drug can be found, consumed, mainly, by the population of street, who see, in the easy access to this drug, an escape for reality in who live.
Apu started this personal project in 2009, in São Paulo, in the area known as Cracolândia, located in the central region of the city, where drug sales happen frantically.
The photographer, who documented the region until 2017, produced photos and conducted research on the subject throughout this period.
Apu currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where he has been photographing which some say is the site of Crack's appearance, which occurred around of 1981.
The Los Angeles Crackland, known as Skid Row, considered the largest of the United States, is an area in the center of the city where more than 4,000 people live, of which it is estimated that half consume drugs daily, that is, double the population of Cracolândia in Sao Paulo.
"When we hear about Los Angeles, you probably think movie stars, beaches and shopping malls, but what you see here is the of outbreak of the crisis of homeless of America." said Apu.
Initially, crack was spread, especially in the slums of Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and Miami, among 1984 and 1985. After years of crack predominance, heroin has become the most popular drug in the region.
This work contains day-to-day scenes that has not changed since he first started shooting it in 2009. And no matter where you go, the way the drug affects people is the same.
See more about Apu Gomes: http://www.apugomes.com/