Dawn of the dead

They're not quite the undead. More like the soon-to-be dead.
The downtown Athens neighbourhood of Omonia has long had its fair share of junkies. Once the grande dame of the city, with fountains and well-manicured shop fronts, Omonia today is a dive. But the junkies? Wow. Never like this it seems.
The three zombies in the picture were shot (while one was shooting up) as riot cops had other things on their minds, like the October 19 general strike.
Spaced out, brain damaged addicts are now flaunting the authorities. They shoot up in plain site. They pass out. They score. For the most part there are no cops.
Probably the most disturbing scene occurred several blocks away, several days after the strike, just off the busy pedestrian walkway of Ermou, a Greek rioter's stone's throw away from the parliament.
Staggering towards me on a cool fall day was a man in his 20s, maybe 30s, who knows. Picture a zombie in Dawn of the Dead. That was him: shoeless, filthy and (reader discretion advised...) Um, how do I put this? You know that Saturday Night Live skit with Justin Timberlake and Adam Samberg, called "Dick in a Box"? Well, this dude could have used a box.
Yep, he was flying low, so so low.
So why?
Probably many reasons... general despair has to be on the list somewhere... But I'm thinking the cops don't give a shit any more (or the patrols have been cut to save cash)... and, I'm hearing that the state funding for methadone treatment has been cut, to what level I don't know. Obviously, not enough.