Got my keys, wallet and bag of cocaine… I'm just away to the pub

Hey folks,

I hope you're doing well—and thanks for coming back. And no, I don’t actually have a bag of Colombian marching powder.

This blog, at its core, is about mental health and the things that can improve or impact it. Two of those things are drugs and alcohol. Off the bat: I’ve never tried any illegal drug. I’ve never smoked and don’t intend to, so the idea of me as the next Tony Montana is laughable. If drugs are your thing, that’s your choice—I won’t judge—but if you asked my opinion, I’d encourage you not to take them. I’d probably place myself in the anti-drug camp, mostly because of the damage I’ve seen them do. That said, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a hypocrite—I enjoy a pint (or seven) from time to time, and alcohol has arguably caused more damage in my life than anything else.

As I write this, I’m on a return flight from a stag do in Tenerife. I hadn’t really drunk alcohol since the start of the year, aside from the running club awards night—my only night with more than one drink. I expected this weekend to be different, and it was. I drank a lot. Not to the point of being steaming, but I was definitely in the “well-oiled” category on night one, and a few steps down the ladder on the other two. I had a great time and wasn’t that hungover—more mentally and physically shattered than booze-riddled—but it got me reflecting on the impact of drugs and alcohol on my life, especially over the past 12 months.

I’ve seen the darker side of substance use, those that know me well will know about my father “having demons.” It’s not hard to put two and two together. I don’t remember much about him—whether that’s suppression or not, I’m not sure. Apparently, he was intelligent and caring before alcoholism took hold. It turned him into an aggressive, physical abuser. I was a baby, so I don’t remember most of it, but I do recall being hit once for pressing a button on a machine in the house. He didn’t stick around much longer after that—he emptied the home and left after my brother Christopher sadly passed away. He also dodged child support by fleeing to a lorry driving job in Europe.

It was an awful situation for my mam. Not so much for me—I was very young, and I’m lucky to have a good stepfather. But as I get older, I’m becoming more aware of the pain alcohol caused in my family. It’s something I don’t want to be part of. I do not want to be my father.

Then there’s drugs. What concerns me most is how normalised they’ve become—especially cocaine. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nightclub, rave, or local pub—it’s as if people can’t go out without snorting something. I couldn’t walk 200 metres from the hotel in Tenerife without being offered “Charlie. Best Charlie” in the street. Before we even left the hotel, another stag group tried to pass on their dealer’s info. What happened to just having a few pints?

I was recently at a wedding where a guest bragged about dealing drugs since he was 13 or 14. Maybe some of it was exaggerated, but he was openly offering coke in the middle of a wedding. When did that become socially acceptable?

The health and societal risks are massive. My brother and stepbrothers got involved in drugs years ago. My brother lost his military career because of it, and one of my stepbrothers died of an overdose on New Year’s Eve. That’s my personal experience. Then there’s the wider impact—exploitation, crime, and poor-quality substances that kill people. I just don’t get it. The wedding guest’s justification was “he loved it” (which is the only borderline acceptable reason), and that “people are less aggressive on coke than on booze.” Honestly, I think they’re both as bad—only booze isn’t illegal, so the wider impact is reduced.

I’m not talking about sitting in a café in Amsterdam eating a space cake. I mean cocaine, heroin, and street benzos. Scotland has the highest drug death rate in the world, and when you see the attitude toward drugs, it’s sadly understandable. Alcoholism and drug misuse are addictions—and with that, diseases. Yet we accept them as part of our social norms. The fact that so many social interactions revolve around alcohol (and increasingly, drugs) is something we need to address from a public health perspective.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t drink. But reflect on your social life—if most events involve alcohol or more, it’s worth thinking about how that impacts your health, your life, and your relationships.

I pulled back on alcohol this year because I was fed up with how I felt. Even after just a couple of beers, I wasn’t hungover—but my sleep was terrible, my energy was low for days, and my productivity dropped. It affected my overall health. I asked myself if it was worth it, and I decided—for me—it’s not.

I’ll make the odd exception for a stag do or big celebration (I’m looking at you, EMF Festival!), but genuinely, not drinking 98–99% of the time is my outlook going forward.

If you’re struggling with alcohol or drugs, here are some helplines that can help (Scotland):

• Drug Helpline – Know the Score: 0800 587 5879

• Alcohol – Drinkline: 0800 731 4314