MY BROTHER ADMITS HE’S A COKE ADDICT

Dear Coleen

My brother and I are very close and tell each other everything. He told me about 18 months ago that he’s started doing cocaine on nights out, but insisted it was under control.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but recently he’s spiralling out of control. He no longer just does it on nights out, he’ll come home from work at 5pm and do a line in his room.

He’s on brilliant wages but never has a penny to his name, and the savings account he set up to save for his own place is empty. He used to be really careful with money and now he’s borrowing off relatives.

I’m really worried about what he’s doing to his long-term health, but don’t know how to broach it with him. He acknowledges he’s addicted, but I can’t tell our parents as they’d throw him out and his situation would get worse.