Portraits From Brazil Crackland

From teenage mothers and fathers to truck drivers and homeless addicts, Brazil’s 24 hour drugs market Crackland has become home to people from all walks of life.

Located in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, crack cocaine users visit the open-air bazaars to buy rocks of the drug and smoke it in plain sight, day or night. As the country’s drugs crisis reaches epidemic levels, its markets pull in anyone looking to get high. Some of whom once held jobs, had loving families and harbored dreams of a better existence – all lost to their addictions.

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Eduardo Santos de Souza, 46, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Souza, a father of 8 children, with 4 different women, says he has cut down on his drug use and has a life outside crackland. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 14, 2015 photo, Henrique Felix Santos, 41, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Henrique, who wanted to be sure his name was spelled correctly, says he has been in this life for quite some time. When asked about his thoughts, he replied: “The expression of each human being is consistent with reality…”. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Jose Mauricio Oliveira, 41, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Individually, the epidemic is comprised of people from all walks of life, some of whom once held jobs, some with loving families, who harbored dreams of a better existence, all lost to their addiction. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, Ketellin Silva 17, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Silva, the mother of a 3-year-old girl, holds a stuffed toy dog she says belongs to her premature infant son who remains hospitalized. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Sancler Rodrigues, 32, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rodrigues said he has been smoking crack for 7 or 8 years. “I didn’t think my old black shirt would look good in your photo, so I borrowed this from friend”, Rodrigues said. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015, photo, Carla Cristina, 26, poses for a portrait next to her water stand in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Carla Cristina sells cups of water with an aluminum seal, which users will transform into makeshift pipes for smoking their crack. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 14, 2015 photo, Lucilene Gomes, 44, adjusts her hair in preparation for a portrait, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gomes posed in a makeshift studio made up of an old chair against a white backdrop illuminated by two small lights. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Anderson Pereira, 23, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pereira wears a T-shirt with a message that reads in Portuguese; “Nothing should seem natural”. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Renato Dias, 39, writes in his notebook as he poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dias, who has been using crack for about 4 years, says he uses his notebook as a form of distraction. He writes about super heroes and dreams of becoming one. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, Andrea, better known as Loira, which is the Portuguese word for “blonde”, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andrea says she is married and has a home, but she keeps returning to crackland to feed her addiction. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, Carla Chris, 35, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Carla Chris, who has been using crack for over 6 years, says getting into crack was easy. What is difficult is finding an opportunity on the outside. But she pushes herself everyday, saying: “Smile because life is beautiful. Jesus loves you and victory is certain. I am capable, prepared and self-sufficient, so I can do for myself”. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 17, 2015 photo, Daniela Pinto, 39, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Daniela who has been a crack user for 4 years, says she has been living in this crackland for about 4 months. She says she wants freedom, peace and love, but most importantly she wants to be freed from her addiction. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, Patricia Sebastiao, 22, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patricia, who has a 2-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, is pregnant with her third child. She said she is 6 or 7 months pregnant, but was not exactly sure. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, Douglas Wallace, 26, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Collectively, the estimated 1 million crack users in Brazil are a frightening blight that’s deeply troubling to government officials, whose programs have done little to halt the drug’s march across the nation. Some recent studies have shown that Brazil now consumes more crack than any other country. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 14, 2015 photo, Andre Oliveira, 32, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Andre makes a living by collecting discarded, recyclable items on the streets. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 14, 2015 photo, Valeria de Brito, 36, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brito, who has been using crack for over 8 years says she does not like the crackland environment, that she prefers to use drugs elsewhere. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

In this March 14, 2015 photo, Jorge, 35, poses for a portrait in an open-air crack cocaine market, known as a “cracolandia” or crackland, where users can buy crack, and smoke it in plain sight, day or night, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Teenage mothers, truck drivers, fathers, homeless, those struggling with mental illness – all manner of person can be found in Rio’s cracklands. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)