I have just finished reading Ban Ki-moon's address to the residents of San Patrignano. On Wednesday the Secretary - General of the United Nations visited the drug rehabilitation community in Italy and in his address he mentions two residents that I am proud to call my friends - Mike and Damir.

This morning I received a call from my friend in Australia letting me know that one of our friends had taken his life over the weekend. I have suffered grief and loss before and today I did not know what to do - go to work and carry on? Stay at home and take it easy? I went to work and whilst there I listened to every early 80s tune that reminded me of my friend who I now will never see again.

Let's admit it: if someone, before last Tuesday, had told me that the most delightful pizza of my life would be created by the brainstorming of English chefs and former drug addicts, I probably never would have believed them.

We got talking about a community that Danny had just visited in Italy called San Patrignano. It is arguably the world's best drug rehabilitation centre for young people, with a huge success rate of 72%.

While Britain shivered in autumn showers over the weekend, I was lucky enough to fly to Italy to attend the youth drug prevention event WeFree event at San Patrignano near Rimini, one of the world's most proclaimed and revered drug rehabilitation units.