He was a columnist on the Independent for nine years and was twice named Newspaper Journalist of the Year by Amnesty International UK. He has also been named Cultural Commentator of the Year by the Editorial Intelligence awards and Gay Journalist of the Year by Stonewall. He spent three years researching and writing the book, Chasing the Scream: the first and last days of the War on Drugs, travelling to 9 countries and interviewing countless people whose lives have been transformed by the war on drugs. The Guardian called it a ‘powerful contribution to an urgent debate’ and The Times said it is ‘Thoughtful, thorough and questing, and full of fresh and genuine reportage about aspects of the drug economy.’