'I'm addicted to Coke'

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'I'm 8k in debt because I'm addicted to Coke!'

Friday 09 October 2009

Michelle Crawford can’t afford to buy her children school uniforms because she spends £4K on Coca-Cola a year

Michelle Crawford drinks an incredible 10 bottles of Coca-Cola every day. Her unhealthy habit is crumbling her teeth and has plunged her £8K into debt.

The jobless mum-of-four, who has never worked and survives on benefits, claims she can’t afford to buy her children school uniforms or send them on school trips. But she still refuses to give up her sugary fix.

“I’m addicted. If I go longer than an hour without a glass of Coke I get grouchy and suffer headaches,” says Michelle, 26. “I feel bad because I could be spending the money on my kids, but I can’t live without it.”

Michelle first developed cravings for Coke when she moved into her own place at 18.

Michelle says: “I had it every couple of weeks as a kid, but when I moved out I started drinking it every day because I liked the taste. I had a bottle for breakfast, one with lunch and another couple in the evening. Within months I was drinking 10 of the 500ml bottles a day.”

Her habit costs £80 a week, adding up to a staggering £4K a year. Michelle – who lives in a three-bed council house in Larne, Northern Ireland – only realised how much she was spending when her boyfriend, Neil Brownlee, 42, revealed they were £8,000 in debt in January.

Michelle had even used credit cards to fund her habit after running out of benefits and admits: “I was horrified when I realised how much I was blowing a week on Coke – it’s the same amount we spend on food for the family. Neil was furious I’d wasted so much money!”

Bizarrely, Michelle believes Coke helps keep her weight down, even though it’s packed with calories, as she often replaces meals with it. She says: “I’m a size 6 but I’m scared I’ll put on weight if I give up.”

She adds: “I’ve already lost six teeth and have seven fillings because of my Coke habit. I’m sure I’ll eventually lose all my teeth, which does upset me. And I can’t get to sleep ’til 2am because of all the caffeine.”

Michelle, who has her first Coke at 7am, says she tried to give up recently: “I had Ribena instead, but really missed the taste of Coke.” Outrageously, Michelle – who won’t say how much she pockets in handouts – adds: “It’d be good if we could get more benefits so we could pay off our debts.

“I guess the best thing would be to give up Coke, but I’ll need professional help to stop for good.”

The couple hope to save money by cutting back on their shopping and not taking the kids out as much. “It’s not fair for the kids to miss out,” says Michelle. “But they see their gran every fortnight, who treats them.”

And Michelle believes her kids don’t want her to quit her Coke habit, saying: “Without it I get moody and end up shouting at them.”
But Michelle is determined her children won’t become addicted too, and says: “The only time I let them drink Coke is with their McDonald’s once every two weeks.”

Dr Sara Jarvis says of Michelle’s habit: “She’s drinking twice the daily recommended amount of caffeine, which will lead to high blood pressure, and the vast amount of calories she is consuming puts her at serious risk of developing diabetes.”

By Natalie Corp