Alan Davies started taking drugs when he was 15 years old

Alan Davies started taking drugs when he was 15 years old, he started on Cannabis, then went on to Tamazepan and finally on to Heroin:
"I thought I was a successful drug user as I was very well organised in the way I stole and cheated even from my friends, to get the money to pay for drugs.

"I could afford to use heroin and in my mind this gave me status as a drug user. I was top dog."

His habit lasted for 20 years, he has been clean for a number of years although he doesn't count how many.

"I take every day as it comes. I don't want to count how many days I've gone with out drugs, I don't need to. I am trying to be positive and help others move away from using drugs."

Alan now works closely with the Redcar and Cleveland Drug Forum which he helped to set up.

He is busy promoting a book which he hopes will be available in schools, libraries and and prisons.

"It's called Gary's Friends, another former drug user, and it features lots of people who are addicted.

"It doesn't glamorise drug taking and hopefully it will put loads of people off experimenting."