By Lucy Caulkett And Gavin Mackintosh-
The Eye of Media.com will spend time with Essex crack addicts, as part of an internal scheme to observe the life style of drug addicts, as well as see how we can support them to overcome their habit.
The scheme initiated by editor Gabriel Princewill, has been set up to research exactly how drug addicts support their habit, given their limited resources.
It also aims to observe the frequency of their purchases, their feeding habits, the exploitative deals some of them get, and incidences if robbery.
We will also seek to assess their employability and see if incentives can be provided to give help them develop useful skill sets that can give them a hope of a brighter future.
Writers from the eye of.media.com will be placed at crack dens two or three times a week for up to five hours each day to observe on the inside, how mostly unemployed addicts on state benefits support their habit.
On each day of our presence there, we will support the addicts with food shopping to aid their feeding, but only after the first week of observing precisely how they live, and sometimes, their sleeping patterns.
The ambitious project with Southend On Sea, then move through Basildon, then London. In a brave and risky research process, the eye if media.com achieved this by collaborating with known addicts in the area.
We offered them the difficult to resist incentive of financing their electricity, food, and sometimes, a few drinks, whilst we are there.
This, in exchange for unrestricted access to their home base, freedom to take pictures, and access to their parents for the purposes of research and analysis.
Many drug users are known to commit offenses to support their crimes, theft and robbery are among the most common offenses committed by addicts.
However, we will not involve ourselves in.alerting the police if any offenses committed which comes.to our attention. We will simply, note them and sometimes write about them, without revealing the identities of the culprits, unless they clearly permit.
Writers present will be able to write articles on other topics previously sent to them or researched from the mobile phones or ipads, whilst at the address.
Groups of addicts from Southend on Sea, Basildon, Leyronstone, and Upton Park, have already agreed to the deal- a huge victory for our online publication.
How successful the project will be is yet to be seen, but this is likely to be an interesting experience.
