"I mean completely teetotal now, not even drinking" - Dom Taylor quits alcohol in huge life change with PDC Tour return his priority
PDCSunday, 09 August 2026 at 19:00
Dom Taylor is gearing up towards a return to darts following his six-month drugs ban which cost him part of his career. He has opened up about his plan to get there, cutting out alcohol in the process while being adamant he can still produce his best stuff teetotal.
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The Englishman was playing some brilliant darts in 2025 which saw him climb the PDC rankings. Always a dangerous opponent to play against with a high ceiling, he was asserting himself on tour as a huge threat.
However, his world came crashing down around him at the latest PDC World Darts Championship. Following a convincing 3-0 win over Oskar Lukasiak, he would proceed to fail a drugs test. It tested positive for cocaine and cannabis, banned substances which got him in a lot of trouble.
His punishment came in the form of a six-month ban that halted his career indefinitely. He would go on to lose his Tour Card thanks to not earning the money from the venture to Ally Pally with this a huge reality check in his life.
Cutting alcohol out of his life
Since that painful episode, he has made it his ambition to turn his life around for the better. After completing a rehabilitation programme, he has been clean for a hefty period of time now and is reaping the rewards for this.
One of these life changes is barring alcohol from his life. 'The Tower' admitted that he can still perform on the stage at the highest level without booze. He proved that in a tournament in Coventry on the ADC circuit where he won the title with a 103.40 average.
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Dom Taylor has quit alcohol for good
“I have shown myself that the ton-plus averages are still there," he told ADC. “It’s not across a best-of-11 format, but I am pushing in the best-of-seven and best-of-nine formats, still averaging 102.
“It’s there. I just need to step it up a little bit, bring those 15-darters down to 12-darters and keep it consistent. Whereas I may drop in the odd 20 or 22-darter."
He confirmed that his drinking habits have stopped in and away from darts. "Overall, I mean completely teetotal now, not even drinking," he stated. “So after 15 years of playing with a drink in my system, to now doing it without a drink is hard. But I have shown myself I can still perform without the drink in my body.
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“A lot of people have asked me how I cope in the environment with what I have been through, not drinking. How do I cope with being around everyone that is drinking? I am drinking zero per cents for the psychological part to not fully get rid of, but detonate the chances of getting dartitis.”
This was the second anti-doping offence Taylor has been caught for, making it all the worse when caught. He will be targeting a return to the PDC Tour in 2027 Q-School and will surely be one of the more noticeable names in action at the start of next year.
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- He wouldn't get a tour card if there was a million on it
Amusementman09-08-2026 - This gormless, dull as dishwater nobody hasn't done anything this year and has absolutely no right to be considered for anything other than checking people's tickets on entry and it is likely he couldn't cope with that.richieburnettrocks09-08-2026
- How can PDC players play in streamed events?medinabello04-08-2026
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- Indeed I've been to Dublin on numerous occasion the atmosphere was electric and the crowd were always pumped plus the City West was a cool venue. It was a good week away The double start and finish is different and actually very enjoyable but a week in a nothing happening crime riddled city in a soulless stadium does not appeal. The venue does not merit the competition and format.richieburnettrocks02-08-2026
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