Dying Chinese Drug Addict Wu Guilin's Last Days

Drug addict Wu Guilin’s last days

April 18 to May 6, in a room in the old county seat of Huidong in Guangdong province, this reporter used 19 days to witness the last part of drug addict Wu Guilin’s life. [click images to enlarge]

[Above] One April afternoon in Huidong county of Guangdong, drug addict Wu Guilin is alone in his dilapidated home waiting to die, the hospital having already said that Wu Guilin can no longer be treated.

One night several days ago, Wu Guilin suffered an episode of pain, leading him to burn items in his home in a cry for help, with the black ashes still remaining on the floor.

Guangdong’s weather in April is very humid, so Wu Guilin has taken off his shirt, revealing the tattoo on his back: a male eagle with parts of its wings not yet finished.

Noon April 22nd, Wu Guilin, with his bottom half completely naked, appeared at the bottom of a building waiting to be demolished on Lianhua Road in Huidong county, his body so weak that he could no longer walk.

Tied around his wrist is a hospital identification tag.

A police officer leans over to talk to him.

The police officer and medical personnel send him back to his home.

April 24th, the hospital says Wu Guilin can no longer be treated, so he leaves the hospital to return home to wait for death to come, the hospital’s identification bracelet still tied around his wrist.

Wu Guilin sitting alone in his run-down home, no longer able to walk upright due to an infection in his legs.

Cotton wadding can be seen everywhere on the floor throughout Wu Guilin’s home, with not yet dried traces of blood left on them.

Wu Guilin sits on his woven mat, a bowl of leftover rice not far away. During this time as he is at home waiting for death. Often the neighborhood official, neighbors, and “drug friends” bring him food.

Wu Guilin holding up bloody syringe in his dirty hands. He says his life has been destroyed by drugs.

April 24 afternoon, Wu Guili once again receives drugs from a “fellow drug user”. He says he injects drugs now solely to blunt the pain in his body.

Of the times this reporter saw him, this was when he was the most lively/alert.

April 24 afternoon, Wu Guilin injecting the drugs his “drug friend” delivered to him.

Wu Guilin back in his dilapidated home.

April 24 night, Wu Guilin lit candles, smoking the cigarettes that a worker at the local neighborhood sub-district office gave him, in a daze.

Wu Guilin slowly falls asleep.

April 26, Wu Guilin lit a candle and lies on his mat to begin recording his final moments. He says he wants to use this to warn other people to not make the wrong choices.

May 10, several days after Wu Guilin passed away, the diary he kept as he approached death still remains in the dilapidated home.

May 10 afternoon, Wu Guilin’s remains lie in the #45 freezer of the Huidong county mortuary, his hair in a mess.

Guangdong Huidong Mortuary, after identification by this journalist, the staff change the “Unknown” on the #45 freezer locker to “Wu Guilin”.

A pair of jeans and several syringes remain in the room where Wu Guilin’s spent his final moments.

Comments from NetEase:

天朝70年大限 [网易广东省深圳市网友]：

Stay away from drugs no matter what, it’s too frightening!!!

尚未命名 [网易上海市网友]：

This handwriting is quite pretty…

流氓小亨 [网易江西省九江市网友]：

Drugs these days are mostly methamphetamine. Something created by the Japanese that is popular here.

政治體制要改革其它是浮雲 [网易广东省梅州市网友]：

An open society will necessarily have this kind of thing come in.

网易浙江省宁波市网友：

Sitting here waiting for a pretentious bitch to post a pretentious criticism.

跟帖无法显示 [网易北京市网友]：

I think his drug friend is much more compassionate than the hospital or ZF. The hospital won’t do anything, but his drug friend gives him expensive HLY [海洛因 hai luo yin, heroin] in his most impoverished and painful moment.

网易北京市朝阳区网友:

Human scum, degenerate, has only himself to blame, had it coming. Society has one less evil.

zzlwy5222 [网易浙江省台州市网友]：

Just like this, a young life vanishes.

清风无限0 [网易广东省东莞市网友]：

This drug friend wouldn’t happen to be his dealer, would it??

网易天津市手机网友：

Deserved it!!

cqf539 [网易北京市网友]：

He’s already dead, and its not like he harmed anyone else, exercise some restraint, okay? May he rest in peace and not touch drugs again when he reincarnates.

清风泛舟 [网易广东省佛山市网友]：

For you and your family, please stay far away from drugs.

stockgod17316561 [网易浙江省湖州市网友]：

Why do I feel like this drug user is like our society, injecting drugs is like constantly printing money to delay the arrival of the economic crisis.

石门一只眼 [网易河北省石家庄市网友]:

Just what does doing drugs feel like? I’m very curious, those who know please share.

qq16801 [网易江苏省苏州市网友]： (responding to above)

Drug addicts all get started because of curiosity, and then they try it, and finally become addicted, unable to free themselves!! So normal people mus all have basic knowledge of drugs, that they are not to be touched, and one must steer clear of them!!

过敏世界KM [网易云南省昆明市网友]：

This person, even in his final moments, gets not the least bit of dignity! A drug addict, wallowing in degeneration, admittedly is not worth pity! But as certain mysterious “relevant [government] departments”, shouldn’t they do something?

stkbak9 [网易北京市网友]： (responding to above)

He had meals delivered and a kind-hearted person even gave him one last needle, what else do you want? What way of dying would you consider as having dignity?

fanxiaof [网易重庆市网友]： (also responding to 过敏世界KM)

For people like drug addicts, they don’t deserve pity, as they’ve already forfeited their humanity.

What do you think? Do you believe drug addicts deserve pity and help? Do you personally know someone close to you who has suffered from drug addiction?

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