I lived fast and hard dealing drugs while hooked on meth… then came the sliding doors moment that completely turned my life around

A reformed drug dealer has recalled the horrific moment he found his brother trying to save his friend after he choked on his own vomit and died from an overdose. 

Braiden Tonks, 32, has lived through a decade of addiction, violence and crime that ultimately left him scarred, alone and hanging on to life by a thread.

Mr Tonks managed to turn his life around and is now a father of three, partner and activist who is trying to help other addicts by sharing his own life experiences.

The young father said he was the son of a pub brawler who had a reputation among locals and that he leaned into his violent legacy. 

Six-foot-five, covered in tattoos, and sporting stretched earlobes, he began smuggling methamphetamine into the Apple Isle in his 20s.

His exploits afforded him nice cars, Harley-Davidsons, and enough cash to use meth on the side.

But his addiction took it all away, leaving him with a stolen mountain bike and no roof over his head.

‘I went from that guy with all the money, all the assets, and dealing drugs, to the absolute bottom of the spectrum,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

The 32-year-old nearly died on several occasions before cleaning himself up, in part for the good of his daughters (above, Mr Tonks with family)

When he thought he’d lost everything, he sought solace in other users.

One introduced him to heroin – the worst drug he ever tried – and soon he was on the brink of death. 

In a hotel with his brother, Mr Tonks tried some, felt dizzy, and collapsed. 

CPR from his brother saved him, but the next morning he had to watch as his new friend wouldn’t wake up. 

His brother tried CPR again, then turned to Mr Tonks, bile in his mouth, and said: ‘This is exactly what I was doing to you’. 

The incident rattled Mr Tonks.

The turning point came when he was caught in a hailstorm, wearing a T-shirt with nothing but a suitcase of drug paraphernalia behind an electrical box. 

He weighed just 68kg at the time.

Braiden Tonks, 32, has turned his life around after years of addiction, prison time, and near-death experiences on the streets (Mr Tonks, before and after getting clean)

‘I remember sitting down behind this thing and bawling my eyes out,’ Mr Tonks said.

‘I wasn’t born a Christian or anything, but I just remember sitting there and all of a sudden looking up, saying, “God, if you are real, help me, or kill me”.

‘I literally had nowhere to go. Nobody. My family had given up on me, my mum was in jail, my dad is completely anti-drugs.’

It was a moment he’s now grateful for. 

Soon after, he was nabbed at Hobart Airport following a failed trip to purchase $20,000 of meth. Detectives hauled him from the tarmac. 

‘They fully strip searched me, they found the cash, a couple of satchels with residue from drugs in the bag. That was enough to take me back to the station,’ Mr Tonks said.

He copped a 12-month suspended sentence with two years on good behaviour before a variety of minor offences landed him inside Risdon Prison Complex for six months.

After leaving prison, he knew he couldn’t stay in Tasmania. He feared he’d be pulled back into old habits. 

His mother, just out of jail herself, and his ex-partner – who is the mother of his two kids – gave him a chance to stay in their lives if he cleaned up. 

People play a huge role in changing someone’s life, Mr Tonks said, he owes a lot to partner Bec (above)

He said his current partner, Bec, and their daughter was a ‘big factor’ to his recovery.

Mr Tonks said surrounding yourself with people who want the best for you is key to overcoming addiction. 

While working in construction and raising his kids, he started talking about his previous experiences on a podcast and trying to become that helping hand for others.

His content joins a growing group of ‘underworld’ podcasters – like Sydney phenom Spanian – speaking to forgotten Australians and those curious about life on the edge. 

An estimated 10.2million Australians aged 14 and over have used an illicit drug in their lifetime.

Drug use has declined in most age groups since 2019, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

But street drugs are growing more dangerous due to synthetic ingredients and powerful cutting agents.

Mr Tonks also shares stories from others on the path to recovery.

Towering at 6’5” and covered in tattoos, Braiden Tonks shares his journey from meth addiction and prison to fatherhood and sobriety on his podcast (above, with his daughter)

He has received dozens of messages a week from young people wanting to turn their lives around. 

Not everyone likes what he has to say – and that’s fine with him.

‘There’s 100 per cent way more positivity than negativity on social media for me through the message I carry, but once upon a time I wouldn’t have been able to handle it,’ Mr Tonks said.

‘My father was a very violent man… I sort of copped that reputation of him myself.’

He admits he used to threaten those who criticised him, a habit shaped by his upbringing. 

‘Since I went to jail, I wouldn’t say I found the Lord, but I found something,’ Mr Tonks said.

‘I believe in a higher power, whatever it is. I definitely believe in something higher than me. It’s helped me, man, to switch off, grow more and not deal with a negative s***.’

His podcast is available on Tonksy Media Podcast via social media, YouTube and Spotify. 

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National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015