Members of the Hamilton Lions Club yesterday heard a first-hand account of the trials and tribulations addicts go through before, during and after they seek rehabilitation.

The audience heard how in a bid to stay awake while working late, an unsolicited solution from a colleague turned one man's life into a nightmare.

That nightmare was an addiction to drug -- that "little something'' to help keep him awake was cocaine.

Recovered addict and National Drug Commission's drug treatment committee chairman Denton Outerbridge took those at the weekly Hamilton Lions luncheon, at Pier 6 Restaurant, along his painful path to salvation.

"Around the eighth year (of using) I noticed that I couldn't stop,'' Mr.

Outerbridge said. "I spent thousands of dollars a week. I was ashamed. I couldn't tell anyone I had a problem. At the time I associated an addict with someone who hung out on Court Street.'' He recalled that he finally sought rehabilitation abroad, after nearly overdosing on cocaine one evening.

"Rehabilitation was the beginning of a journey for me,'' Mr. Outerbridge said."It taught me how to live.'' Mr. Outerbridge enrolled in the Twelve Step Programme which he claimed promoted the same ideals he learned in Sunday school as a child.

"I had to admit that I had a problem and turn my life over to a higher power,'' he explained. "But the real test was to apply what I learned when I came home.'' Mr. Outerbridge told the audience that addiction was a disease and had to be treated as one.

And he emphasised that not all drug addicts were bad people.

"Most of them are bright intelligent people,'' he said. "They are just sick people who need help.'' Mr. Outerbridge added that one of three things happened to addicts: "Jail, institution or death.'' While stressing the need for a drug treatment facility in Bermuda where addicts could learn skills, he pointed out former addicts could best help addicts because they understood what an addict was going through.

Mr. Outerbridge called on the community to come together in the war on drugs, but warned drugs would never be completely eradicated.

"We need to stand firm as a community and say enough is enough,'' he said.

"We won't be able to eliminate the whole problem. But we can take business away from the drug pushers.''