An Irishman has revealed that what started off as casual cocaine use eventually led to him losing 30kg in weight as well as him and his family owing €80,000 in debt to drug dealers.
David Gorman spoke openly and honestly on RTÉ's Upfront with Katie Hannon about how what "started out as a social thing" that ended up becoming a "serious addiction."
The Monday night programme focused on the issue of drug legalisation and whether it would be the best means of stopping organised crime in its tracks. It follows a proposal being considered by the ongoing Citizen's Assembly on drugs, which began last weekend.
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Speaking on the programme, David said: "It started off like most people, I got into it like a social thing on the weekends. It then quickly turned into a thing of most weekends to every weekend."
He stated that it turned into something he was doing several times per day for four or five years, which he labelled as "extreme addiction."
Host Katie Hannon asked David to describe what happened during his life in that five-year period.
"I lost over 30 kilos in weight, I got into a very bad drug debt where me and me family had to pay back a substantial amount of money, over €80,000," he said.
David explained that the most he owed in one go was €30,000. Last year, the Dublin native shared an update on his sobriety, showing the difference in his facial features.
He captioned the comparison: "I was so close to death I could feel my life slipping away from me everyday."
Following the episode, which brought in a panel to discuss the legalisation of some drugs, David said he was grateful for the opportunity to tell his story and that he hopes that it may help those in the process of recovering from addiction.
Viewers thanked him for his honesty, with Dublin Bay North TD for Labour, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, saying: "Well done again David. You were brilliant."
Another viewer said: "Your story was so moving. Amazing that you’re giving back now and you’re on the right path. You should be so proud."
One final word of praise noted: "Crucial we hear about every aspect of addiction. One way to erase the 'just a party bump' reputation of casual cocaine is by listening to people like you who have experienced the life destroying effects of this drug."
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