Clay Scott first encountered drugs when he was 12 years old.
He was at school and his mates were passing around a bong.
"[We] went to a secluded part of the school … and ended up smoking it at lunchtime," Clay tells triple j hack.
At the time, Clay was dealing with the passing of his nan.
He says his nan was his rock and losing her sent him into a spiral.
"I spent a lot of time with her growing up," Clay says.
"She was the first person to really truly tell me how special I am."
Between the ages of 12 and 14 Clay would use drugs recreationally at parties or at the skate park with friends.
By 15, he was experimenting with alcohol and other illicit substances too.
"Ecstasy, MDMA and LSD as well, that was one I started taking quite young," Clay says.
Clay never finished high school. He was asked to leave when he was 17 because he "wasn't doing anything" while he was there.
Dealing to fuel addiction
That's when Clay started to sell drugs to fund his addiction.
"At the same time as pursuing money, I was also avoiding feeling what was going on inside my head," he says.
"My greatest fear was having to spend a day inside of my own head. I couldn't stand to live with myself."
Clay's addiction caused his relationships to break down. He was kicked out of home, he broke up with his girlfriend and was using drugs more than ever before.
"There was not a day where I didn't use drugs and alcohol," he says.
"On paper, I should not be here. I didn't think I was going to be here.
"I didn't expect that I would make it past the age of 21 and I kind of accepted the dangers of that lifestyle are just part of the game."
Australia's overdose problem
2024 was Australia's deadliest year on record for drug overdoses, according to the Pennington Institute. Seven people died every day.
Those statistics don't surprise Clay.
"I tried to take my own life via overdose multiple times," he tells triple j hack.
"I really couldn't see a way out. I genuinely could not see a light at the end of the tunnel.
"In those moments I just wanted to feel nothing."
Clay's family staged an intervention after finding out he was contemplating suicide in 2024.
As a result, he tried to get clean. He gave up everything except weed for nearly seven months until an unexplained seizure resulted in relapse.
A few months later he found himself in a maximum-security prison.
"I was completely arrogant and unwilling to accept the fact that [I would get caught]," Clay says.
Clay has a scar on his face from a wound he received during a dispute over drug money. (triple j hack: Angel Parsons)
How Clay ended up behind bars
Clay says his first run-in with police happened when he was 18. He was waiting for a friend when he was approached by police who found 39 capsules of MDMA in his bag.
By the time he ended up behind bars in 2025 he was used to appearing in court, but he wasn't prepared for police to turn up at his parents’ house.
"I got a knock on the door and [they] said, 'Are you Clay Scott? We've got a search warrant,'" Clay says.
"They handcuffed me. Unfortunately, at the time my aunty was down on holiday, so she had to witness the whole thing.
"Nobody in my family's experienced anything like this."
Clay was sentenced to two years in a maximum-security prison near Sydney.
"It was f***ing terrifying … it really showed me what my future would be if I kept being the person that I'd always been," he says.
He served three months before being released as part of an NSW Drug Court program.
The Drug Court provides alternative pathways for drug-dependent people who commit crimes.
People who have committed violent offences are not eligible for the program, which requires participants to undergo rehabilitation and regular drug testing.
Clay has just finished his program and credits the time in rehab for helping him overcome addiction.
"I will still be on a good behaviour bond for eight months, but … I don't think there's been a year since I turned 18 that I haven't had to go into a courtroom," he says.
Getting sober
Clay, who is 23, has been sober for more than 500 days and has started sharing his story in the hope of helping others.
"It is genuinely a miracle that I'm still alive, or that I am living a fulfilled and happy life," he says.
"Knowing that I could become the man I am today through recovery — I want other people to be able to achieve that, because it has been nothing short of life-changing."
Clay hopes that by sharing his story he can help other people get sober and turn their lives around. (triple j hack: Angel Parsons)
Clay encourages anyone struggling with addiction to reach out for help.
"Look up your local narcotics or alcoholics anonymous meeting and get yourself to a meeting ASAP," he says.
"I know it's terrifying … [but] you don't have to speak. Nobody's going to make you speak.
"Just go there [and] see that you're not alone."
Clay has started rebuilding his relationships with his family. He works part-time with his dad as a gyprocker and is completing a fitness certification with the aim of starting a coaching business.
He hopes his nan would be proud of him.
"I really couldn't [think about her during the years of addiction]," Clay says.
"Knowing what she saw in me and what she would expect of me, and knowing that I was not even close to living up to anything she would have wanted for me was probably the scariest reality.
"I still get choked up talking about her now."
