August 22, 2007 14:12

Blur man: I was a coke addict

Dave Rowntree admits the drug nearly destroyed him

Photo Gallery: Blur

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree has admitted to being addicted to cocaine during his band's Britpop days.

Rowntree has said that he began using the drugs during the height of the band’s fame.

He said: “I didn't start using regularly until the 90s, but as my tolerance increased, I used more. I managed to get help before they destroyed my life, and these days I'm active in the recovery community.

“The key point is that all the way along, I thought my behaviour was normal and it was the rest of the world that had gone mad. I had no idea my experience was different to anyone else's because I had nothing to measure it against.”

Meanwhile, with rumours that Rowntree is keen to stand as a Labour candidate at the next general election, he told The Guardian that he hoped that the new year would bring a change in government’s steps to tackle the drug problem.

He said: "Some evidence suggests that the proportion of people who may be at serious risk of becoming dependent could be as high as one in six. If so, taking drugs is really like playing Russian roulette.

"Most people will get away with it, but for some it will mean their death. And just like Russian roulette, you won't know which group you're in until it's too late."