Sabina Osbourne Gray
DRUGS AWARENESS SPEAKER
No one saw it coming, least of all me.
I was part of a happy and prosperous family, and I had a wide circle of friends. Then drugs walked through the door of my life, and everything changed.
I experimented early. Those first experiences felt like harmless fun at the time. Weed, pills, LSD - these drugs were at the centre of my social life at a highly regarded public school, but I didn't know I was developing a problem. By the age of seventeen, I was a daily crack and heroin user. For the next decade and a half, my entire existence was dedicated to the pursuit of drugs - that meant a life on the periphery of society, perpetually in and out of police stations and courtrooms, and eventually prison.
My story is filled with experiences that seem almost unbelievable to me now. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I was that person, but I was – and telling young people about how I became an addict, and what I learned from years in addiction, is one of the best ways to make use of that experience.
In my talk, I also address the key reasons why people begin to take drugs, why they continue to take them, and the consequences of substance abuse, including the impacts on the brain.
As a schoolgirl, I underestimated the power of drugs, and many other young people will have the same perspective. The aim of my talks is to change those perspectives, to spark debate and to help others to avoid the mistakes I made - to encourage young people to be both drug-aware and self-aware.
I was part of a happy and prosperous family, and I had a wide circle of friends. Then drugs walked through the door of my life, and everything changed.
I experimented early. Those first experiences felt like harmless fun at the time. Weed, pills, LSD - these drugs were at the centre of my social life at a highly regarded public school, but I didn't know I was developing a problem. By the age of seventeen, I was a daily crack and heroin user. For the next decade and a half, my entire existence was dedicated to the pursuit of drugs - that meant a life on the periphery of society, perpetually in and out of police stations and courtrooms, and eventually prison.
My story is filled with experiences that seem almost unbelievable to me now. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I was that person, but I was – and telling young people about how I became an addict, and what I learned from years in addiction, is one of the best ways to make use of that experience.
In my talk, I also address the key reasons why people begin to take drugs, why they continue to take them, and the consequences of substance abuse, including the impacts on the brain.
As a schoolgirl, I underestimated the power of drugs, and many other young people will have the same perspective. The aim of my talks is to change those perspectives, to spark debate and to help others to avoid the mistakes I made - to encourage young people to be both drug-aware and self-aware.