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Substance abuse has plagued many promising stars across the world, with these high-profile personalities being public examples of how the battle against substance abuse is lost every day due to how liberal pop culture has become with the eccentric use of drugs.
In 2021, The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) revealed that 40% of Nigerian youths between 18 and 35 years are deeply involved in the abuse of drugs. While a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) revealed that in 2021 Nigeria has a 14.4% drug use prevalence, a number significantly higher than the global average.
Considering how drugs have become a major part of celebrity culture and almost become a signature for ‘the cool kids,’ it’s not a surprise that this number keeps increasing. It has become a menace that needs to be eradicated.
Here are some top personalities who have lost the battle to drug abuse and what we need to learn from their case.
Heath Ledger
When the Joker is mentioned one actor who set the precedence for the role was Heath Ledger. With multiple awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, Heath was at the top of his career, but he had one problem, he could not sleep.
On the verge of getting an Oscar nod for his outstanding role in the 2008 film ‘The Dark Knight,’ he was found dead in his New York apartment. An autopsy report showed that he died from an accidental overdose of prescription medications, including painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and sleeping pills.
It was prescribed, yet he still died.
Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston, in her lifetime and even decades later, is one of the greatest musicians. Her voice and musical influence is almost unrivalled in the music industry with hit singles like, ‘How Will I Know’, ‘Greatest Love of All’ and ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)’, and more, the world was hers.
However, at 48, she died. The music legend on March 22, 2012, was reported by the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office to have died by drowning and the “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use”. Toxicology results revealed additional drugs in her system, including diphenhydramine (Benadryl), alprazolam (Xanax), cannabis, and more.
Juice WRLD
Juice Wrld was just 21 when he passed away. The rap star, who had just broken out with his hit single Lucid Dreams, died on December 8, 2019, after having a seizure induced due to drug overdose.
According to reports, the American rapper had swallowed multiple Percocet pills (pills usually used to relieve moderate to moderately severe pain) in order to hide the pills from federal agents searching luggages on the plane.
Amy Winehouse
People might not see the danger of alcohol abuse, but Amy Winehouses’ story poses a different perspective. The English singer and songwriter, who is unarguably one of the greatest musicians of all time, had died of alcohol poisoning.
However, Winehouse struggled with substance abuse, which eventually led to her death at age 27 on July 23, 2011. The police had reportedly recovered one small and two large bottles of vodka from her room after she was confirmed dead due to alcohol poisoning.
Jimi Hendrix
Like Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix also died at 27. The American guitarist, songwriter, and singer who released music for only four years is considered the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.
He was with Monika Dannemann, his girlfriend at the time when he died. Although there was insufficient evidence to conclude the circumstances of his death, the rock star reportedly died from asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. His girlfriend had revealed that he had taken nine of her prescribed Vesparax sleeping tablets, 18 times the recommended dosage.
Elvis Presley
There is only one King of Rock and Roll and that is Elvis Presley. Decades after his death he is still relevant as a cultural figure. Unfortunately, he died on August 16, 1977, due to substance abuse.
According to reports, he had fallen on his head after an overdose of codeine. There were also claims that he had taken a combination of depressants. Another legend went down before their time due to drug abuse.
Prince
Another legend who died of substance abuse was Prince. The music icon known for his incredible falsetto, extravagant and androgynous persona is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In his lifetime he won the Grammy President’s Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
However, he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl at the age of 57. Shockingly, the fentanyl that led to his overdose was in counterfeit pills made to look like a generic version of paracetamol.
Rob Pilatus
Another sad case of a music star passing due to substance abuse was that of Robert Pilatus. The German singer, dancer, model, and rapper was a member of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli with Fab Morvan before he passed away on April 3, 1998.
On the eve of a promotional tour for a new Milli Vanilli album, Back and in Attack, Pilatus was reportedly found dead from an alcohol and prescription drug overdose in a hotel room at Friedrichsdorf, near Frankfurt.
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz and swing music singer. During her time, she had a massive influence on Jazz music with her strong vocals and manipulation of tempos.
The music star died in 1959 after she was earlier diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Billie Holiday continued drinking after she was diagnosed and at some point, she was arrested for illegal possession of narcotics. The police guard stationed in her room was only removed a few hours before her death.
Michael K. Williams
One Hollywood actor whose death was a rude awakening for the industry was Michael Kenneth Williams. The American actor who rose to fame in 2022 for his role as Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire, was known for his immense talent.
In 2021, he was found dead at his apartment in Brooklyn by his nephew. According to reports, William had died of an overdose after combining fentanyl, p-fluoro fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. He was 54.
Among these celebrities mentioned are music stars who have attained great heights in their careers with access to anything they wanted but moved to drugs, and they met an untimely doom. While some misused prescribed drugs, and some died as a result of the overtime use of drugs, all these deaths point to the fact that there are both long time and short time effects of substance abuse, and it never ends well.
The post 10 Celebrities Who Lost The Battle To Substance Abuse And What We Need To Learn From Their Stories appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
