Dave Hughes went out for drinks with mates. He woke up in a prison cell with no memory.

On Christmas Eve 1992, Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes stood on the brink of another big night. 

The comedian hadn't had a drink in six weeks. That alone was unusual. And he knew exactly what would happen if he went out.

In that moment, at just 21 years old, Hughesy made a decision that would change the rest of his life.

Radio host Dave Hughes grew up in the 80s and 90s, when drinking and smoking were a big part of Aussie culture… and his own home.

"Both parents smoked and drank beer," Hughesy told Claire Murphy on Mamamia's Well podcast.

At about 14 or 15, Hughesy had his first alcoholic drink. Soon, this turned into binge-drinking with mates.

"I was never a seven-day-a-week drunk. But whenever I did drink, I always lost control," he said.

Watch: The Moment Hughesy Quit Drinking for Good. Post continues after video.

On some occasions, the teenager would wake up having not remembered the last 12 hours. A few times, he was even in a police cell.

"They'd lock me up for my own safety, really," he said. "You'd fall asleep on the road and the police would see you."

Having quit university, the young Aussie used drinking as a coping mechanism.

"I was lost, I suppose," the radio host said. "Or just anxious. And alcohol was a massive part of that."

But he quickly noticed the benefits were minimal.

"I remember reading that if you lose memory, you're killing part of your brain… I didn't want to ruin my brain," he said.

Then there was his dad's relationship with alcohol, which Hughesy knew wasn't a healthy example.

"I didn't feel like it was a choice for my dad, it was like a compulsion," he said, adding that alcohol impacted his father's emotions and memory.

"He would wake up the next day and not remember what he'd done, or how he'd yelled or stressed everyone out. I imagine he didn't remember it or, if he did, he didn't want to acknowledge it."

By 21, Hughesy knew one thing for sure.

"I didn't want to repeat that cycle."

Dave Hughes and his wife Holly. Image: Facebook/@officialdavehughes

The comedian's last drink was on a Sunday afternoon in November 1992.

Six weeks before Christmas, he told a mate he'd stop drinking until Christmas Eve.

"That was always a big night," he said.

But when the evening came, and Hughesy was ready to go out, he saw his future clearly.

"I just thought, 'no, if I drink tonight, there's no way I'll be any different than I was six weeks ago'," he said.

"That was the moment where I thought to myself, 'I'm never going to drink again'."

That was 34 years ago. And Hughesy, who is now 55, hasn't had a drink since.

There was no rehab. No AA. No intervention, he "just accepted it straight away."

Even when new mates questioned the choice, Hughesy stayed strong.

"I knew I was doing the right thing," he said.

And it's not as if the sobriety impacted his social life. The 22-year-old would still frequent night-clubs and simply "dance sober". He also had more luck in the romance department.

"I would tell girls that I don't drink, and that would actually give me respect," he said. "Girls would see a strength in that."

Professionally, Hughesy believes he owes his comedy career to sobriety. 

"I don't think I would have had the mental capacity for [stand-up comedy] if I had kept drinking," he said. "I wouldn't have been able to control my emotions."

And while the industry is known for its boozy nights, he never relapsed.

"For the last 30 years, I have been out many nights of the week and most people are having a drink. It's just not an issue," he said. "Because I'd already accepted I didn't drink, it wasn't that hard to deal with people in comedy clubs."

Listen: Hughesy & Addiction: Breaking His Dad's Drinking Cycle Before It Broke Him. Post continues below.

Years ago, when his parents were still alive, Hughesy wrote a letter to his dad about his drinking. But it was a touchy subject.

"It's much easier for me to talk about being sober and my family history of alcohol now that both my parents have passed," he told Well's Claire Murphy.

While alcohol is something Hughesy "never wants to touch again," the comedian has found nicotine harder to quit. In his 50s, on a night out, the radio host accepted a vape. Getting off that hook has been challenging, but necessary.

"I know that if I do [vape], I'll just be back on it," he said. "The desire to smoke or have nicotine in your system dominates every moment of your waking day."

Hughesy has been open about having an obsessive personality. He's given up alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, meat, and now lives as a vegan.

People have told him he's "addicted to giving things up". But the hardest addiction to break wasn't a substance, it was his "own ego".

"That's been the most misery-inducing addiction," he said. "Stopping constantly thinking about myself has been the most relaxing thing I've ever done."

For others, Hughesy's advice is simple.

"I want us to be addicted to staying in the moment. This moment's the only moment we'll ever have."

Feature Image: Facebook/@officialdavehughes

If you or anyone you know needs to speak with an expert, please contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or download Sobriety App – I am Sober, an addiction buddy useful for quitting any activity or substance.