Avandi says quitting cocaine transformed his life

Actor Märt Avandi says his life has changed beyond recognition since overcoming cocaine addiction, and he is now using his experience to help prevent drug use among young people, ERR reported.

Avandi spoke about his recovery on the television programme Hommik Anuga. Three years ago, he told the programme Pealtnägija that he had been addicted to cocaine for 10 years. He said he had feared that going public would affect his work and his relationships with family and friends. Looking back, he considers the professional consequences limited, though he said some people may have decided not to offer him work.

“Life free from addiction, compared with life as an addict, is night and day. It is paradise, and I enjoy and appreciate it every day,” Avandi said.

This autumn, he is starting a comedy tour titled 45, which will address addiction through black humour. Avandi said he talks about using cocaine in places across Estonia, including toilets and outhouses, describing the experience as tragic and terrible but also, in his view, absurdly funny.

Avandi also commented on a recent case in which a young theatre director secretly put MDMA in his friends’ drinks. He said the act could not be justified, but that a person should not be defined by one act. He believes the director, Oliver, should be given a second chance.

Avandi said he no longer has a clear picture of how widespread drug use is in the theatre world, but believes drugs are easy to obtain in Estonia. Since speaking publicly about his addiction, he has visited schools to discuss drugs. To break the ice, he asks students how quickly they could get ecstasy or amphetamine. He said answers are usually 15 to 30 minutes, whether he is in Tallinn or a smaller place.

He warned against the idea that cocaine is merely a party drug and that trying it once has little effect. Avandi said he believes he became addicted the first time he used it, recalling that he immediately wanted more. He added that cocaine did not improve his work: while under its influence, he felt he was a worse version of himself, and his jokes became crude and overdone. He said his best work comes when he is completely sober.

Avandi also noted that acting involves the pressure of being judged by strangers. He said that pressure can become overwhelming, leading some people in his profession to move into other work.