Purpose

The purpose of this project is trifold:
1. To raise awareness and empathy in Romania about the issues of drug use, hoping that one day drug users will get the help they need instead of being incarcerated.
2. To explore the artistic possibilities of weaving poetry and sound together, and to experiment with different genres, styles, and techniques;
2. To create a body of original work that showcases one’s talent and skill, and to share it with a wider audience, conveying one’s personal experiences through poetry and music, connecting with others who might relate to them.

I think the most relevant is the first point. Romanian authorities view addicts as criminals while drug addiction is viewed as a choice that should be punished with incarceration. Drug possession is punishable by up to three years in prison while possession with the intent of supply is punishable by a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 10 years in prison. Besides NA and a couple of NGOs there is no help for addicts. I’ve only been clean for a little over a year, but Mr. Zloteranu has been clean for over 13 years, so there are not a lot of people in Bucharest who know better than him what the process of getting clean in that environment is like and even fewer who possess the tools or the will to write about it, to start a conversation, to fan the flames of empathy.