A topless Ben Cousins uses drugs onscreen in a documentary set to be shown before the end of the AFL season. 'Such is Life: The Troubled Times of Ben Cousins' was filmed over the past two years as Cousins, who was a former West Coast Eagle's captain, battled his drug addiction.

A newspaper reported that Cousins is seen crying while under the influence of an unidentified substance, staring into the camera and saying: "My name is Ben Cousins. I'm a drug addict."

An official of Channel 7 Melbourne said that the documentary would be aired in prime time, possibly before the Grand Final. Minchael Gudinski, the producer and music promoter of the documentary said that it would send a powerful message to young people about drugs.

"When Ben came to me 18 months ago and we talked, I knew he had an important story to tell. The end result is deeply emotional and compelling," Mr Gudinski said, "It's a cautionary tale - the inside story of a superstar footballer who made some bad choices along the way and ended up in a titanic struggle with drug addiction."