Rowdy Yates expert on drugs and alcohol addiction has been banned from the road after he was caught drink driving twice.

10:56 senior research fellow at Stirling University's Scottish Addiction Studies Group 1 Comments

University academic Rowdy Yates, 57,vice-president of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities was found to be double the limit. expert on drugs and alcohol addiction has been banned from the road after he was caught drink driving twice. Only four months before, officers had breath-tested him at twice the limit at his house, minutes after being tipped off about his dodgy driving.
He claimed he got home sober but then swigged whisky in his garden shed. But a sheriff refused to believe him afer hearing he would have had to down three large drams in minutes to give such a huge reading. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: "It seems strange to be going out to your shed to have a glass of whisky. You would have had to drink a significant amount over a relatively short space of time." Yates has kept his job as senior research fellow at Stirling University's Scottish Addiction Studies Group despite his conviction. In the first incident, police went to his home near Auchterarder, Perthshire, after a taxi driver saw him driving erratically. He told officers he had a drink in the pub then drove home and "topped up" in his shed because his wife had a "problem" with his drinking. At the time he said he had only taken a swig from the bottle but a medical expert claimed it would take three very large whiskies to be double the limit. The academic admitted driving while nearly twice the limit in the second incident, in December. Police stopped him in his Vauxhall Frontera 4x4 close to his home because his registration plate was hidden by mud and smelled booze on his breath. Sheriff Foulis found Yates guilty of the first charge and warned him he would be banned for several years as a result of being convicted twice. He was banned from driving while he awaits sentence at Perth Sheriff Court. Sentence was deferred for community service and social background reports. Last night Yates refused to comment but a pal said: "Rowdy has had problems in the past and has admitted being a former drug addict. "The university are aware of that so it's unlikely there will be any implication at work." The university confirmed Yates was employed there but said: "We don't comment on individual staff members." Last month Yates criticised the Government for failing to speak to him in a consultation of Scotland's experts on their new drugs policy.
He said: "I hesitate to say that I'm incredulous that I've not been consulted because that makes me sound arrogant but the simple facts remain that I'm on their doorstep. "I'm vice-president of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities, an ex-drug user who has provided a service for over 20 years and is regarded in other countries as an expert. Why haven't I been consulted?" Yates has worked in the drugs field for more than 35 years.
In 2000 he sparked fury when he claimed the ecstasy death of Leah Betts only gained widespread media attention because she was middle class and photogenic.
Before his job at Stirling University, he was the director and co-founder of the Lifeline Project - one of the UK's longest established drug services.
His published work includes a book on drugs, music and popular culture since the 60s. In 1994 he got the MBE for his work on the prevention of drug misuse.