Said Hamiz has been using for nearly 10 years, after a friend from Greece introduced him to it. He was working steadily in the soap industry, but slowly stopped showing up for work as the addiction took hold.
Here, he smokes heroin using a piece of heated aluminum foil to liquify it, then inhaling the vapor/steam created.
Heroin Port
The beautiful resort island of Zanzibar has a drug problem. Since the 1980s, it's been a landing port for heroin being shipped from Afghanistan to Africa, but as of late, possibly due to the rising volatility of the overland paths to Europe, there's been an increased surge via the Indian Ocean route.
Since Zanzibar's coastline is porous, its isolated inlets and remote beaches make for ideal landing places for traffickers using the island as a transit point. Consequently, the dirt-cheap narcotics have leaked into the local population, though more than 40% of its citizens live well below the poverty line.
With no education on drug addiction, users here speak of trying the narcotic for the first time, assuming that the high would be similar to that of smoking marijuana, often to disastrous results. These images follow the struggle of heroin users as they secret themselves away during the holy month of Ramadan, in alleyways and behind shuttered doors in an effort to not bring further shame upon their families on this conservative Muslim island.
Rock form heroin as purchased in Zanzibar
Ali Rajabu, 36 years old, prefers to snort the drug. When he started using, he was with good friends. He thought they were going outside to smoke cigarettes, but they instead handed him a pipe with unga (heroin).
Ali is wearing the traditional Kanzu that men wear before praying at the mosque. He wears it to pay respect during Ramadhan, but he has not fasted, even though it is a requirement for Muslims.
Mohammed Sayed (left), 45, has been smoking heroin for nearly 15 years. His best friend Haji (right) introduced him to it, which caused a rift between them after Mohammed became addicted.
Haji Said is a 40 year old farmer, who started smoking heroin in 1985. He smokes in rolled paper/emptied cigarette casing, inhaling the vapors it creates.
Addicts chew or smoke marijuana leaves throughout the day to help engage their appetites, which wanes because of the prolonged heroin use.
Heroin users are often typified by being "on the nod". The nod is a catatonic state where users lose concentration of their immediate surroundings and are in a state reminiscent of sleep, though aware.
Photographed here is "Kudemba" a famous dope house on the island.