Dave Mullen calls himself a former “party animal”—but his wild lifestyle nearly killed him. He took his first line of cocaine on his 17th birthday, thinking it was harmless fun. But that naive moment spiraled into a full-blown addiction by the time he turned 19.

What started as casual use at football matches and lads’ holidays turned into seven-day binges, drinking 15 pints a day and spending thousands on cocaine. The worst came in August 2021, when Dave ended up in a coma after a drug-induced psychosis. A shocking photo from that time showed his eyes bright red—so bloodshot that someone later chased him with a Bible, convinced he was the devil.

Despite that terrifying experience, Dave relapsed for another three years. It wasn’t until March 2024, after a hospital visit where doctors warned him he could die, that he finally decided to quit for good.

Now clean, Dave is sharing his story to raise awareness.

“We’re not taught enough about the real dangers of drugs and alcohol,” he says. “People see it as normal, but it nearly cost me everything—including my sight and my life.”