A soon-to-be father who once spent as much as £1,500 (about $2,000) a week on cocaine says years of addiction have permanently destroyed his nose.
Keep reading to learn more.
Bradley Robinson, from Failsworth in Greater Manchester, first tried cocaine as a teenager during a house party and quickly became addicted.
By the age of 21, he says he was using the class A drug every single day to feel more “confident” and to “block out all my feelings.”
Now 30 years old, Bradley says over a decade of heavy cocaine use has left him with severe and irreversible damage to his nose.
“Honestly my nose is ruined – it will never get back to how it was,” Bradley admitted.
“My nose is dinted in and that’s through excessive cocaine using – it’s horrendous.”
He also explained that even after getting sober, he still feels embarrassed by the physical effects the addiction left behind.
“It’s got to the point now that I’m clean and sober where I’m scared to blow my nose around people because I’m scared people might still think that I’m on it,” he said.
Bradley, who works laying resin driveways, says the addiction consumed not only his health but also his finances.
“The amount of money I’ve spent on cocaine, I could have easily owned a house. I’ve rinsed all my money and it’s upsetting sometimes,” he shared.
“It’s what I’ve put my family through as well – they worked hard for their money and they’ve had to pay people off for me, it’s so sad.”
According to Bradley, his parents were forced to help bail him out of roughly £35,000 (about $47000) worth of debt during the worst periods of his addiction.
After two failed attempts at rehab, Bradley says he finally reached a turning point in September 2025.
“I decided enough was enough,” he explained.
“I took myself to a meeting and I got myself a sponsor. I’ve not looked back since and I’ve done everything my sponsor has suggested for me to do.”
Now sober and expecting his first child in November 2026, Bradley says he’s trying to use his experience to warn others about the realities of addiction.
“I think my purpose in life now is to share my message and get it out. You don’t have to be alone; you don’t have to go through the pain I went through,” he said.
“Drugs are not good whatsoever – it started off as one key of cocaine and all this happened.”
“Get up and grab recovery with both hands.”
He also described attending his first recovery meeting as the hardest but most important step in getting clean.
“The hardest bit for me was walking through the doors at that meeting. Once you walk through those doors, you’re okay,” Bradley added.
Medical experts often refer to severe nasal damage caused by long-term cocaine use as “coke nose.”
According to UK Addiction Treatment Centres (UKAT), the condition develops after repeated cocaine use damages the tissue and cartilage inside the nose.
“Cocaine is an extremely potent drug and its frequent snorting can have dire consequences on the nasal passages and surrounding structures. This can lead to a variety of symptoms and complications,” UKAT explains.
Experts say cocaine narrows blood vessels, reducing oxygen and blood flow to the tissue inside the nose, which can eventually cause tissue death.
Repeated irritation and inflammation from snorting the drug can also severely damage soft tissue and cartilage over time.
Medical professionals warn that symptoms of “coke nose” can include blocked nasal passages, frequent nosebleeds, burning pain, loss of smell, scabbing, holes in the nasal septum, and in severe cases, a collapsed nose structure.
Street cocaine can make the problem even worse because it is often mixed with additional substances and chemicals that further damage nasal tissue.
Bradley now regularly shares his story online in hopes of encouraging people struggling with addiction to seek help before reaching the same point.
This is such a harrowing story but thankfully Bradley was able to turn his life around. Share his story with others.
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