Ex-drug addict is guest speaker at Somercotes Academy

Brian Burns, who lives in Lincolnshire and works for The Amy Winehouse Foundation, recently visited Somercotes Academy to talk to students as part of the Addaction Resilience Programme.

The two organisations are working to prevent the effects of drug and alcohol misuse on young people. They also aim to support, inform and inspire vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to help them reach their full potential.

Students at the Academy were shocked to hear Brian’s life story. In recovery for the past 10 years, he told them how he lost his friends, his family and his home through drug addiction, which began with smoking cannabis at the age of 13 to fit in with others.

His addictions spiralled and he eventually spent 12 years as a heroin addict and a further year as a heroin and crack cocaine addict, becoming homeless for several months.

Brian was only saved from death by a charity-funded rehabilitation programme, which funded his 18 months of residential treatment. He then spent a further year volunteering at the rehab centre.

“I would be dead by now if it wasn’t for them,” he explained.

“They came along at the right time in my life. While I was in rehab we worked out how much money I had spent on my drug addiction. I stopped counting at £195,000 because I was so disgusted with myself.

“I am now married with three children and, at the age of 47, I have a proper job and a real life. But this is the life I should have had when I was younger. I lost 23 years to my addiction and that is the message I want to get over to the young people.

“I am not here to tell them not to take drugs. But I am here to advise them not to, because I don’t want them to wake up 23 years from now and realise that their lives are in this mess. I know how this ends up.”

The Amy Winehouse Foundation is a registered charity set up in memory of English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse by her family after her death in 2011 from alcohol poisoning. She was just 27.

Working for them, Brian has been sharing his experiences in schools for the last five years.

He said: “Although I am talking about my drug addiction, The Resilience Programme is not just about addiction.

“I talk about self-esteem and risky behaviour and we give young people coping strategies to help them deal with peer pressure, bullying, self-harming, family splits and many other difficulties they may encounter.

“The feedback has been very positive over the years. It gets young people to think about their actions, and some of the consequences that might result from them. We try to help them to make informed decisions about their life choices.”

After his talk, Brian held a series of workshops with students in smaller groups focusing on self-esteem.

The talks were very well received by Somercotes Academy students.

James Haile said: “Brian talked about risky behaviour, peer pressure, low self esteem, and drugs and alcohol.

“He told us about having good friends, and losing the bad ones. He also told us about charities to contact if you have family or friends who are substance abusers.”