red pepper | R Vique
Britain tells a different story about itself, but the structure remains recognisable. Addiction is framed at the level of the individual, while the conditions surrounding it recede. Austerity has hollowed out mental health provision, stripped back youth services, and left addiction support underfunded. At the same time, enforcement falls unevenly. Black communities are more likely to be stopped and searched for drugs, despite similar rates of use. Economic, social, and psychological pressure accumulates until they become visible through the crisis of addiction, at which point attention narrows to the individual.