DANIEL POWTER - POWTER LOST EIGHT YEARS TO COCAINE

Canadian newcomer DANIEL POWTER is thrilled his single BAD DAY has soared to second place in the UK singles chart - because it will teach young people about the eight years he lost to drug addiction.

The 34-year-old was addicted to cocaine for almost a decade, and he's so determined to prevent others from repeating he's mistake he wrote the hit track about his two-year stint in a rehabilitation centre.

He says, "Drugs cost me eight years of my life. For years I was addicted to cocaine. I got into drugs in my mid-20s in a bid to be cool and accepted by the in-crowd.

"But I paid a terrible price. It got me by the balls and eventually I realised I was a drug addict and craving my next hit was ruling my life.

"I guess Bad Day was partly about the two years of hell I was going through rehab."