How old were you when you first used drugs?

Thirteen. It started from me smoking marijuana first and then as I got older I got involved in different things from being around different people. By the time I was 18 I was getting ready to branch out of school and that's where the street life came on. The money was coming in fast. At 18 I was hitting heroine heavy.

Did your family know you were into drugs?

They knew somewhat. It was an iffy situation. At that time I covered up a lot of things. But it wasn't a question they asked. I hid it well for a while. At that age you are trying to keep up with your friends because they're doing whatever, and if you're not doing it, you're not one of the boys.

So it was peer pressure that got you started?

Yeah, pretty much.

How easy was it to get drugs when you were younger?

Drugs were much cheaper and more plentiful. When I was 13 you could get a bag of weed for $5 and the guys (selling it) used to be in the neighbourhood where I lived, so it was plentiful.

What has changed since then?

People are not indulging like back then, so a lot of people aren't into heroin now like they were then. The drug of choice now is Ecstasy because it's something you don't have to go around the corner to do, or the bathroom. You can stand right here and pop a pill and they'll think you're eating candy.

Have you tried Ecstasy?

To a degree yes. But I didn't like it.

How did the drugs affect you when you were in school?

Smoking (marijuana) didn't really affect me because I did a lot of sports. I played a lot of soccer and cricket. But it did affect my schoolwork.

As I got older, that's when I said to myself "Hey, I don't want to do school no more" and like I said, your company and friends – and the money is coming in fast and you just want to be on the streets selling drugs.

Q: So you sold drugs?

A: For a period of time yeah. For anyone to say now that they would rather be on the street selling drugs than in school, it's just because they don't want to go to school to get an education and most of them now don't have the drive to learn. They want the easiest way out and that's going to be on the street. But it's not worth it. I stress to a lot of a youngster that this is not a way of life. When I was coming up, it was much easier to sell it, use it and get it. But now it's not worth it and the consequences are worse. You can go to jail and even dealing with your family and things. (Shakes his head) Back in the '70s and '80s, guys said I was one of the first young guys to indulge in heroin. But they always ask me why I still look so good. I tell them it's because I played a lot of sport like soccer.

Now when I think about what I was doing back then ... I have a lot to think about.

Q: What about the risk you were taking buying and selling drugs, didn't you ever feel like someone was going to "get" you?

A: I always felt like that. Because you never know what's on the other guys' mind, even when you are buying. You never know if they are going to pull a knife on you and take all your money. You never know what they're going to do. My mom used to tell me that every time the phone rang, she thought something bad had happened to me because she knew what I was into.

Q: When did you come to Turning Point for help?

A: The first time I came here (to Turning Point) was in the 1990s, but it wasn't my choice. I came here to please somebody else and it didn't work for me. You got to make your mind up and do it for yourself. The second time I came here was in 2003. That's when I started this programme and it came to the point where I said to myself 'That's it. It's over. I've had enough.' I didn't want to come here to waste anyone's time, or my time. I wanted to do this!

Q: Were you enrolled in the Methadone Programme?

A: I never went into the detox programme. I just went on the Methadone Programme and it worked. November 6, 2003 I started the programme and it's worked well for me ever since.

Q: Do you ever have bad days when using drugs again seems appealing?

A: I do, but the thought never comes to mind. I won't let anything trigger me off to go back. I know the consequences. It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot. Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Q: Do you talk to your children about drugs?

A: Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

Q: Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

A: Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Q: Did you ever steal?

A: Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroine in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs. Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all more than again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

Q: What about your friends now?

A: They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates. If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Q: Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

A: To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Q: Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

A: Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.

It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot. Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Q: Do you talk to your children about drugs?

A: Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

Q: Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

A: Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Q: Did you ever steal?

A: Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroine in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs. Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all more than again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

Q: What about your friends now?

A: They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates. If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Q: Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

A: To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Q: Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

A: Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.

It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot. Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Do you talk to your children about drugs?

Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Did you ever steal?

Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroine in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs. Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all more than again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

What about your friends now?

They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates. If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

A: Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.

It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot. Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Do you talk to your children about drugs?

Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Did you ever steal?

Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroin in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs. Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all more than again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

What about your friends now?

They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates. If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

A: Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.

It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot. Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Do you talk to your children about drugs?

Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Did you ever steal?

Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroin in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs. Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all over again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

What about your friends now?

They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates. If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

A: Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.

It's not worth it because for me to go backwards right now, I would lose a lot.

Even if people say: 'I heard you're doing this... I heard you're getting high again'. I tell them: 'If I was getting high again, you wouldn't see me driving my car, I wouldn't be dressing like this and I wouldn't be living where I'm living, and I wouldn't have money in my pocket.' Because when you're getting high you tend to go the bottom of the barrel.

Do you talk to your children about drugs?

Every day. I explain to my children and let them know what I'm going through and refuse to let them go through this when it comes to drugs. They would not indulge in any drugs. I can't say what will happen in the future, but as long as I'm taking care of them, it isn't going to happen. It reached a point where it took a big toll on my family. It even came to a point where my sister would see me coming down the street and go the other way. Once your family turns their backs on you, you have nowhere else to go.

@$:

Does your family support you now that you're enrolled in this programme?

Yes, 100 percent. Back then nobody had any trust in me because for an addict it's all about lying, cheating and stealing.

Did you ever steal?

Not like... no. I wouldn't say that. (Pause for thought) My sister always told me she wouldn't see me out, but I never took advantage of her for money. To stop heroin in Bermuda is hard. It's a close-knit community and most of my associates do drugs, or did drugs.

Now I have had to change my friends. I had to almost live all over again. I had to get rid of all my old clothes; I had to change the routes I used to take, I even had to change my friends, and the way I used to think. If you want to be successful in your recovery, this is what you need to do.

What about your friends now?

They support me 100 percent and don't try and persuade me to go do this or that way. I am a man and I have my own mind and doing my own thing, and nobody is going to tell me what to do. You know, I never had friends before; all I had was drug-related associates.

If I never had any drugs, they wanted nothing to do with me. But once you got, they are all around you.

Do you have any advice to someone who is reading this and is using drugs?

To anyone who is on drugs and you're living in a household where you are around your family, it's not going to work. You are going to destroy your family and you will pull everybody down with you and that's very selfish. As for young people they need to find out any more about what they want to get into (drugs) and they need to realise that it just isn't worth it.

Do you think your life would have been different if you had never used drugs?

Yes. I had opportunities to represent my country playing football. The way I played I could have taken it to a higher level. I'm serious. (Chuckle) I probably wouldn't even be in Bermuda right now.