As a child, Hirst swallowed some pills, mistaking them for sweets, and had to have his stomach pumped. This childhood incident is partly responsible for his fascination with medicine and our confidence that drugs will cure everything. The colours of the syringes in the cabinet are simultaneously attractive and threatening, pastel-coloured and packed like sweets in a dispenser, yet potentially lethal. The title of the work is taken from a song by Joy Division. The band's lead singer, Ian Curtis, was noted for his dark, introspective lyrics, and became an icon for Hirst's generation following his suicide.