Wasted Lives

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews in Hong Kong, this book offers an investigation of the lives of older triad members who use drugs, focusing on their social exclusion within the underground criminal economy.

Situated in the Driftwood Bay district – a site often represented as a “crime hub” – the study reveals how historical, political, and social factors intertwine legal and illegal livelihoods for marginalized individuals navigating both legitimate and illicit networks. Through detailed analysis of their criminal trajectories, shifting notions of respectability, and roles within the underground employment and arrest avoidance markets, the book uncovers how older drug-using triads experience gradual exclusion from the criminal world. It highlights the complex dynamics of respect, social status, and survival strategies, illustrating how these men oscillate between persistence and desistance amid structural constraints. By integrating literature on social exclusion, substance abuse, and organized crime, the book sheds light on the broader societal issues of marginalization, aging, and criminal justice. It offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners in criminology, sociology, gerontology, Asian studies, and related fields, as well as those working in social services, drug rehabilitation, and law enforcement. This work challenges prevailing stereotypes and calls for more inclusive approaches to address the vulnerabilities of aging populations involved in illicit economies.

The book will be of great interest to students and scholars in the fields of criminology, gerontology, drug studies, sociology, and Asian studies. It will also appeal to practitioners in elderly services, drug rehabilitation, and criminal justice (such as social workers, police officers, and prison officers.

Vincent Shing Cheng is Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His current research is about older offenders and older people who use drugs in Hong Kong. He has published in journals like Punishment and Society, Child & Family Social Work, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, Journal of Drug Issues, Asian Journal of Law and Society, and China Journal of Social Work. His book, Hypocrisy: The Tales and Realities of Drug Detainees in China, receives an Honorable Mention in the 2020 ACS Distinguished Book Award of the Asian Criminology Society. He has been appointed as Centre Fellow by the Centre for Criminology of the University of Hong Kong.