Man issues warning after five-day cocaine binge left him with 'devil eyes' and it almost killed him
A self-proclaimed party animal was temporarily blinded and left with blood-red eyes for months after a cocaine binge.
Dave Mullen snorted his first 'naive' line of the Class A drug on his 17th birthday after being offered it in a pub - something which he ultimately regrets.
The former carpet fitter admitted he got a taste for it, sniffing it while drinking at soccer away days with his pals and on lads holidays.
The occasional dabble quickly turned into an addiction come Dave's 19th birthday, and at his worst saw he sank 15 pints a day and snorted thousands of pounds worth of cocaine over seven-day benders.
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It got to the point where Dave was in a coma following a drug-induced psychosis, with a photo taken in August 2021 showing the Brit with terrifying bloodshot eyes.
His eyes remained such a startling red months later. When he went back to work at a retirement home, a man chased him with a Bible fearing he was the devil.
While that was a big wake up call, Dave fell back into his old habits just a few months later - which continued for the following three years.
It was only after a hospital trip in March 2024 where doctors said he could die that he decided to quit, and he's been clean since.
Dave is now sharing his story in the hope it will help people going through similar situations.
"Cocaine goes hand-in-hand with alcohol and at a weak or naive moment as I was young, someone offered me a line and I took it," he said.
"At 19 I noticed it had become an addiction. Every year it got worse and worse and would affect so many people around me due to the mental health episodes I would have."
Speaking of the infamous photo of his eyes, Dave added: "This was a result of a four or five-day bender and I ended up going into a drug-induced psychosis and I completely lost my mind.
"I was completely blind and had no vision. Six weeks later my eyes were still bloodshot and my eyes were like this for two months."
For Dave now, it's all about spreading awareness.
He added: "I don't think we're educated enough about the dangers of these drugs or alcohol.
"We're told the drugs are illegal but in this day and age no one really pays attention to the law and doesn't care if it's illegal.
"I think my story and the pictures in particular show that it's dangerous and I don't want cocaine to be so normalised and acceptable in society."
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 830-7624 24 hours, seven days a week, or contact them through their website.
Callum Jones