Man who snorted cocaine for 25 years reveals ‘lumps of flesh fell out of his nose’
A MAN ravaged by cocaine addiction for 25 years has revealed his terror as “lumps of flesh” started falling out of his nose.
At his lowest point, Ian Higginson, 44, felt like he had a “jail sentence” with nasal pain so bad medics thought he had “cancer”.
Horrific photos show Ian’s nose covered in scabs, sores and bleeding at the peak of his cocaine addiction.
Opening up about his addiction in a Facebook post, he wrote: “I have posted this because if I can stop a 25-year habit which was more like a jail sentence which nearly cost me my life then so can you.
“If I can give someone the kick start in changing their life then I can turn my negative into a positive…
“Cocaine has done me absolutely no favours at all… it’s only once you stop that you see it for yourself.
“PLEASE PLEASE SHARE THIS AS IT IS INTENDED TO HELP OTHERS!!!!!”
‘I SPENT £80K ON COKE’
Ian’s revelation comes after the UK was dubbed the “biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe”.
Security Minister Ben Wallace said cocaine was no longer for just the “yuppie or the rich” as it has fuelled “county lines” violence.
And earlier this month, Met Police Chief Cressida Dick said cocaine users “have blood on their hands”, following the recent increase in knife deaths.
Ian became addicted to cocaine in his teens, but during his time as a bouncer, he earned more cash which allowed him to spend up to £400 a week on the drug.
Ian said: “When my mum died she left me her house, it was worth £160k – I spent at least half of that cash on cocaine.
“I was spending three, four hundred pounds a week on it, easy, sometimes even £1,000.”
Recalling how the drug left him isolated and alone, he told he was “unable to hold down a relationship”.
He added: “It’s ruined every relationship I’ve ever had because I would always put cocaine before them.
“I couldn’t even look after myself because I put it before me, I was a complete slave to it.”
INCREASED COCAINE USE AND INCREASED CRIME IN UK
Britain is in the midst of a national knife crime emergency, which is said to be fuelled partly by cocaine consumption.
At least 875,000 Brits take it each year, leading officials to believe it’s no longer the preserve of the rich.
It is now half the price it was 20 years ago and is available in pubs and clubs up and down the country.
Cocaine is cheaper than it ever has been with a surge in global production since 2013. Figures from the UN’s 2018 World Drug Report show that in 2016 the street price of a gram in the UK was £41 – the lowest since records began – whereas in 1998 it was £97.
Last year was London’s bloodiest in almost a decade, with 135 homicides reported.
Police recently carried out a week of targeted arrests against criminals running these gangs, which saw 60 arrests and uncovered a haul of knives and 1,000 wraps of cocaine.
Earlier this month, drug dealers were jailed for more than 180 years after a crack down on county lines trafficking, including one case of a 14-year-old girl being made to sell drugs.
Cops believe dealers control a phone line, given to young “runners”, who can be contacted for a delivery.
But in 2016, the addiction became so bad he ended up in hospital, as he suffered immense pain around his nose but continued to “put coke up it”.
He said: “When I blew my nose lumps of flesh would come out. The pain was so bad, but I’d still put coke up it to try and stop it.
Cocaine has done me absolutely no favours at all
Ian Higginson
“I ended up really poorly in hospital, they said it was a brain infection and thought there may be cancer, but my nose was too badly destroyed to tell if it was carcinogenic or not.”
Ian underwent two biopsies and his nose collapsed. He then discovered that he had an allergy to cocaine, and it was preventing his nose from healing properly.
Despite this, he kept using the drug.
It took several more years after this for Ian to finally kick the habit.
Ian has been clean since June last year. Now in a happy relationship with girlfriend Emma, he said: “I feel amazing now. I am happy.
“In the past I have always felt like there was a hole that needed to be filled.
“Now If I have a good day I have had a good day, if it’s bad then that’s just life. It’s like I have just reset myself.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.