The death of entertainer Whitney Houston, 48, is shedding light, again, on drug abuse and celebrities. Houston is suspected to have died from a lethal combination of prescription drugs and alcohol. The suspected lethal combination is not necessarily in terms of how much she allegedly took but what and if alcohol accompanied it; her death is still being investigated.
Years of drug use takes a toll on the human body. According to the CDC, “individuals who suffer from addiction often have one or more accompanying medical issues, including lung and cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and mental disorders. In addition, some drugs of abuse, such as inhalants, are toxic to nerve cells and may damage or destroy them either in the brain or the peripheral nervous system.” (www.cdc.gov)
The drug epidemic of the 60s and 70s brought initial heightened awareness to this dangerous, life-threatening problem and, unfortunately, the fight continues to this day. Americans have known of many, many drug-related deaths among entertainers such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Belushi, Chris Farley and Anna Nicole Smith; the list can go on and on. Public displays of drug use by actors, songwriters, singers and musical groups came to impact us and how we view illicit drugs; this twisted perception gained prominence from the “counterculture movement” - an alternative movement that bucked the system regarding wars, socialism, racism and the freedom to experiment with drugs.
The drug problem among entertainers can be traced long before the drug exploitations of the 60s and 70s. As far back as the 1920s, entertainers were known to abuse drugs. Social or recreational drug use began to evolve into a serious addiction. Something that was done recreationally or just to take the edge off due to nerves began a vicious cycle of abuse and recovery. Yet for many entertainers the fatal dose ended the vicious cycle. Celebrities have learned to push the envelope with the stance that any publicity is good publicity but unfortunately drug-related publicity is like playing Russian roulette one miss and it's over.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/addiction-health
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25140#ixzz1mSchnnHx
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