Fresh bout of drugs hysteria

The difference was Adams was addicted to alcohol. Not everyone who drinks alcohol will end up like Adams and not everyone who uses illegal intoxicants will end up like Cousins.

But these examples do offer lessons in looking at the problem of drug abuse. As working hours get longer in the workforce in general, the growing pressure it places on workers will increasingly find expression in greater use of intoxicants to cope - mainly alcohol.

Cousins and Adams were at least highly paid and subjected themselves to the pressure of professional sports voluntarily. Many workers face increasing work pressure for reasons outside their control. Hypocritical lectures from self-appointed moral guardians on the evils of drugs or binge drinking won’t solve this problem.

Another criticism of Cousins is he has failed to show proper contrition in public. But why should he? Cousins has been through his own personal hell. That he is alive is an achievement. Any apology he feels the need to give to those he hurt through his addiction is a private matter.

Cousins has refused to hypocritically rail against drugs. He has been open about his personal battle and has left it at that.

One controversial aspect of the documentary led to media questioning about whether Cousins should have even been allowed back in the game at all after his one-year ban. In late 2008, as he sought to convince the AFL to let him back in, he was subjected to a hair test for drug use. Cousins caused outrage by shaving his head and waxing his body. In the show, Cousins confirmed suspicions he did this out of fear he would test positive. The show revealed that, as Cousins battled his addiction that year, he suffered a relapse. This is not uncommon and Cousins fought his way through it.

The test came months after this, but hair tests can reveal drug use three-to-four months in the past. Cousins said he feared the AFL were out to get him and would not understand a positive test in light of his ongoing rehabilitation. He had a point - the AFL cared far less for Cousins’ health than it did about protecting its “brand” and associated profits from more scandal.

Cousins also said the AFL wanted him to lie and deny he was an addict, blaming other personal issues for his problems. He said it would have been easier to return to the game if he had done so, but felt it was important to tell the truth - he was an addict and would be for life.

The worst response to the show came from the WA police, who called on Cousins to dob in former drug dealers. This simply reveals the authorities are trapped in the mindset of the futile “war on drugs”.

Cousins could betray people he knew, opening them up to prosecution, but it would do nothing to stop people using illegal drugs. People will use intoxicants, legal or otherwise, for a variety of reasons and making those involved criminals does not help.

But a discussion on a more rational way to respond to the question of drug addiction is not on the cards for a media that remains morbidly concerned with such critical questions as whether Cousins used drugs the night his close friend, former AFL star Chris Mainwaring, died from an overdose in 2007.

In this atmosphere, the AFL tags along, scared for its brand, playing the role of a cop enforcing laws that have nothing to do with the sport and have demonstrably failed.