Talking about the dangers of drugs

and drugs, change.

“I was pleased to welcome Colin Mcgowan to the Scottish and to campaign for Parliament last week to take part in an event I chaired on Scotland’s drug deaths emergency, followed by a parliamentary debate.” Colin Mcnair was a prominent Scottish footballer in the 80s and early 90s, plying his trade at Falkirk, Motherwell and Dumbarton.

However, the promising defender lost everything after succumbing to drugs and spent years battling his addiction and living on the streets of Glasgow.

Now, aged 50, Mcnair works with Hamilton Accies delivering direct and honest talks about the dangers of drug use to school pupils across Lanarkshire.

Mcnair orchestrates his hard-hitting talks alongside Hamilton Accies chief executive Colin Mcgowan, himself in recovery for over 35 years, and together (both men are pictured above) they speak in depth about their experiences.

The pair also recall hitting rock bottom, being forced to sleep rough and explain how they came through their own recovery and rebuilt their lives.

Mcnair, who admitted dreaming of being a footballer from a young age and having the world at his feet, also discusses playing at the top level in the Scottish game before succumbing to an invitation on one occasion to sample drugs.

Speaking to the Advertiser previously he said:“that one Saturday evening when I took my first ever line of drugs, and thinking that just the once won’t do any harm, led to taking drugs on a Saturday and Tuesday – then a Saturday,tuesday, Thursday and so on until I was taking drugs every day of the week and feigning injury so I didn’t have to play football, until it all fell apart and I was found out for the drug user that I was.

“I owed dealers money left, right and centre and turned to crime to pay for my habit, eventually ending up in jail.”

He added:“it took 25 years to get to where I am today.”