Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley admits he didn't know he had a drink problem – until it nearly killed him.
He reveals he’d been downing a bottle of vodka a day right up until the moment he collapsed with liver and kidney failure last month. He spent a week under sedation then told how he’d warned by doctors that one more drink could end his life.
Whibley, who’s thanked fans for their support and told them he’s slowly recovering, tells CBC: “I push myself a little too hard with work, and playtime as well. At some point it all catches up with you.
“I never felt anything weird – everything just felt normal. You justify your partying and alcohol. You say, ‘Well, if I wasn’t drinking I wouldn’t have written this song.’ But it’s kind of bullshit.”
The 34-year-old recalls that friends and family had been responding to his behaviour by “raising eyebrows” in recent months, especially when he took to having vodka delivered to his house every day.
He says: “I never felt anything weird. Everything just felt normal. I thought, ‘It’s just alcohol – it can’t really harm you that much.’ But sure enough, it can.”
And Whibley warns: “I never realised I was taking it that far; I never realised I would end up in hospital. I want our fans to know that it can happen to you, too, if you’re not careful.”
