On December 8, 2019, Juice World, a popular music artist, suffered from a drug-induced seizure at Midway International Airport in Chicago, resulting in his death. He is one of many celebrities who have died due to drug related causes. Some of these famous artists include Prince, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Lil Peep, Mac Miller. However, hundreds of other influential artists and celebrities have passed away due to drug abuse and overdose.
The death of celebrities and artists has deeply impacted fans and family members. Unfortunately, it isn’t just celebrities that suffer from drug issues in their life. The shocking reality is that according to cdc.gov, “over 770,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999, and the total number of deaths jumped from 16,849 in 1999 to a high mark of 70,237 in 2020.”
On July 24th, Demi Lovato was rushed to the hospital due to a drug overdose. The famous Disney star and singer was hospitalized for a week after her overdose, and fortunately, she is alive and well today.
However, some celebrities aren’t so lucky. On August 16, 1997, Elvis Presley was afflicted with a heart attack. Those who have studied the famous singer’s death say his heart attack could have been prevented if Presley had stopped abusing drugs.
Many people look up to celebrities and see them as role models. When one of them suffers from an overdose, it changes the way people view them. Kira Cox, a student at Kearns High School shares her opinions on celebrities and their use of drugs. She tells the Cougar Claw that she believes that “No one really knows why people start taking drugs even though they know what harm they can do to their body. It is unfortunate for people who die from an overdose, but they’re just good people who made a bad decision.”
There have been many incidents where drugs have clawed their way back into the lives of celebrities and regular people. The use of recreational drugs is highly consequential and dangerous. Thousands of people have felt the harsh effects of drugs. They create an unstable and threatening environment for the user and the people close to them.