Cambodia is still recovering from decades of a civil war which ended in 1998. Poverty is wide-spread and is the root cause of many social problems. Homeless children living on the streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia resort to solvent abuse to forget the pain of hunger and to escape from the harsh reality of street life. Glue-sniffing causes a brief respite from reality but it has long-term detrimental effects on the brain, a fact which the street children are either not aware of or can’t be bothered to worry about at this stage in their lives.

Glue is one of the preferred substance of abuse among street children in Cambodia because it is cheaper than intravenous drugs and is easily available for about US$0.50 a can. Money for purchasing glue usually comes from begging from tourists.

 

As of February 2005 when this photo-documentary project was carried out, there was still no formal drug rehabilitation centre for street children to receive shelter and guidance.