Art for the Living –
October 28, 2019 – But locals seeking treatment for drug and alcohol addiction at a nearby Betty Ford clinic said it seemed like a dopey idea, and were skeptical that being greeted by a gargantuan model of drug paraphernalia would help those looking to kick their own habits. “You’re in the beginning of your recovery and the first thing you see in rehab is that? No,” said chef Danny Hobby, 34. “It’s either a trigger or a sign of motivation.”
Emile Beniflah, 20, said putting the artwork inside a recovery center was “like showing alcoholics a beautiful beer with foam dripping down the side of the glass.” The sculpture by activist artist Domenic Esposito was first placed outside the Health and Human Services Department’s Washington, DC, offices in April to protest the government’s response to the nation’s opioid epidemic.
Esposito has also created several other similar giant drug spoons, including one titled “Purdue Spoon” that was installed outside the OxyContin maker’s headquarters in June 2018 before being impounded by police.
