The fairly recent loss of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman got folks talking about drug addiction… for about 5 minutes. Social media and news outlets all seemed surprised. How COULD such a successful, seemingly intelligent man die from a drug overdose? Despite the number of high profile celebrity deaths from both “legal” and street drugs, for some reason, people still seem surprised. Many people also commented about all the deaths that occur EVERY DAY that do not even appear as a blip in our daily news. According to the CDC:
“Every day in the United States, 105 people die as a result of drug overdose, and another 6,748 are treated in emergency departments (ED) for the misuse or abuse of drugs. Nearly 9 out of 10 poisoning deaths are caused by drugs.”
Those are what we call FACTS. Now, let’s throw on the logic. Don’t do drugs.
Have a beverage. Smoke them if you got them (I’m not a smoker but don’t think that shit should be illegal) – but please, stop there. Again – logic. If anyone says ‘hey, put this up your nose’…. your response should be NO. We learned that shit in PRESCHOOL….even then there was always that one kid sent home with a raisin or a bead jammed up their nose.. don’t be THAT kid. This is something you should not even have to THINK ABOUT. That and needles. Needles are for tattoos. Unless you have a medical condition where a doctor gives you something that needs to be injected – YOU SHOULD NOT BE INJECTING YOURSELF. If you see this:
Just walk away. What about THAT looks remotely clean? That looks like a syringe full of shit water. No.
And can we talk about meth? Does anyone know how it’s made? I’m not talking the nice and clean Breaking Bad lab… let’s take a peek at the goods from a shopping trip for a meth lab – shall we?
Yeah – which one of those – aside from Sudafed because the shit works when I have a cold – seems like an awesome idea? Let me help you – NONE. None of that shit should go in your body. Ever. Yes, I am aware chemical reaction, science, science, science and BAM – we get pretty meth!
So pretty. You know what’s NOT so pretty? This:
I’ll spare you the pics of ‘meth mouth’ and ‘meth mites’ – feel free to goggle that shit yourselves. It’s NASTY. Ugh.
What’s the point of the ‘mom rant’ on the happy Taylor Page? Well, I’ll go with:
| Philip Seymour Hoffman | Actor | Heroin overdose (unconfirmed) | Illegal drug | 2014 | 46 |
| Cory Monteith | Actor (Glee) and singer | Toxic mix of heroin and alcohol | Illegal drug and alcohol | 2013 | 31 |
| Lisa Robin Kelly | Actress (That ’70s Show) | Multiple drug intoxication | Illegal drug | 2013 | 43 |
| Chris Kelly | Rapper (Kris Kross) | Fatal overdose, cocaine and heroin | Illegal drug | 2013 | 34 |
| Jeff Hanneman | Musician (Slayer) | Cirrhosis due to alcoholism | Alcohol | 2013 | 49 |
| Whitney Houston | American singer, actress | Drowning; complications of cocaine and heart disease; Flexeril, marijuana, Xanax and Benadryl also found in body but did not contribute to death | Illegal drug | 2012 | 48 |
| Michael Carl Baze | Horse jockey | Overdose; cocaine, oxymorphone (accidental) | Mixed prescription/ illegal drugs | 2011 | 24 |
| Derek Boogaard | Canadian professional ice hockey player; left wing (New York Rangers) | Alcohol and oxycodone overdose (accidental) | Mixed alcohol and prescription drugs | 2011 | 28 |
| Amy Winehouse | English singer and songwriter | Fatal alcohol poisoning; alcoholism | Alcohol | 2011 | 27 |
| Erica Blasberg | American golfer (LPGA) | Asphyxia; multiple drug overdose: butalbital, temazepam, alprazolam, codeine, hydrocodone, and tramadol (suicide) | Prescription drugs | 2010 | 25 |
| Andy Irons | Surfer | Cardiac arrest complicated by mixed drug ingestion (cocaine, methamphetamine, alprazolam, methadone) | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs | 2010 | 32 |
| Edward Fatu “Umaga” | Samoan-American professional wrestler | Hydrocodone, carisoprodol, diazepam (accidental) | Prescription drug overdose | 2009 | 36 |
| Michael Jackson | American Pop Singer and icon | Cardiac arrest, acute propofol intoxication; midazolam, lidocaine, diazepam, lorazepam also noted in autopsy report | Prescription drugs | 2009 | 50 |
| Billy Mays | Spokesperson | Heart disease possibly complicated by cocaine use | Illegal drug | 2009 | 51 |
| Christopher Bowman | American figure skater | Drug overdose: cocaine, diazepam, cannabis, alcohol (accidental) | Mixed alcohol, illegal and prescription drugs | 2008 | 40 |
| Heath Ledger | Australian actor | Combined drug toxicity due to oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, diazepam, temazepam, doxylamine (accidental) | Prescription drug overdose | 2008 | 28 |
| Scott Charles (“Bam Bam”) Bigelow | American professional wrestler; World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) | Multiple drug overdose: cocaine, temazepam (accidental), possibly worsened by heart disease | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs | 2007 | 45 |
| Chris Mainwaring | Australian Football Player | Cocaine overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 2007 | 41 |
| Anna Nicole Smith | American model, Playboy playmate, actress | Combined drug toxicity due to chloral hydrate and benzodiazepines (accidental) | Prescription drugs | 2007 | 40 |
| Ike Turner | Musician, bandleader, songwriter, producer | Cardiovascular, lung disease complicated by cocaine overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 2007 | 76 |
| George Best | Professional soccer player | Complications due to alcohol abuse, alcoholism | Alcohol | 2005 | 59 |
| Eddie Guerrero | Professional wrestler | Cardiomyopathy, heart disease, possibly due to anabolic steroid use | Anabolic steroids (speculated) | 2005 | 38 |
| Steven Scott Bechler | Major League baseball pitcher; Baltimore Orioles | Heat stroke exacerbated by ephedra | Alternative/herbal drug | 2003 | 23 |
| Anthony Durante | Professional wrestler | Oxycodone or fentanyl overdose (accidental) | Prescription drug overdose | 2003 | 36 |
| Howie Epstein | American bass guitarist (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) | Possible heroin overdose; also reportedly using prescription antibiotics | Illegal drug overdose | 2003 | 47 |
| Elisa Bridges | American model, actress | Drug overdose: heroin, methamphetamine, alprazolam, meperidine | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs | 2002 | 28 |
| Douglas Glenn Colvin, aka Dee Dee Ramone | American songwriter and musician (The Ramones) | Heroin overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 2002 | 50 |
| John Entwistle | English bass guitarist (The Who) | Heart attack induced by cocaine | Illegal drug | 2002 | 58 |
| Darrell Porter | American professional baseball player | Cocaine overdose (accident) | Illegal drug | 2002 | 50 |
| Christopher Wiley Antley | Horse jockey; 2-time Kentucky Derby winner | Overdose; (clobenzorex, paroxetine, methamphetamine, carbamazepine) and trauma (accidental) | Prescription drugs | 2000 | 34 |
| Chris Farley | Comedian, actor; Saturday Night Live sketch comedy TV show | Overdose; combination of morphine and cocaine; complicated by heart disease; fluoxetine also in system (accidental) | Illegal drugs | 1997 | 33 |
| Peter Jackson | Australian rugby player | Heroin overdose (suicide) | Illegal drug | 1997 | 33 |
| Margeaux Hemingway | American actress | Phenobarbital overdose; suicide | Prescription drug overdose | 1996 | 42 |
| Kurt Cobain | American singer-songwriter and musician (Nirvana) | Gunshot wound to head; heroin and diazepam found in body (suicide) | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs | 1994 | 27 |
| River Phoenix | American actor | Heroin and cocaine overdose | Illegal drugs | 1993 | 23 |
| David Waymer | American football player, NFL | Heart attack, cocaine related | Illegal drug | 1993 | 34 |
| Paul Hayward | Professional Rugby League Player; Newton Jets (Australia) | Heroin overdose; contracted HIV in prison | Illegal drug overdose | 1992 | 38 |
| John Kordic | Professional hockey player | Lung failure complicated by unspecified drug overdose (possible anabolic steroid abuse) | unknown | 1992 | 27 |
| Abbie Hoffman | American Political activist | Phenobarbital overdose (suicide) | Prescription drug overdose | 1989 | 52 |
| Chet Baker | Jazz musician and singer, trumpet player, guitarist | Accidental fall from hotel window; cocaine, heroin | Illegal drugs | 1988 | 59 |
| David Croudip | American football defensive cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons | Cocaine overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 1988 | 30 |
| Len Bias | Boston Celtics second overall NBA draft pick (1986) | Cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 1986 | 23 |
| Don Rogers | Football safety in the National Football League (US), Cleveland Browns | Fatal cocaine overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 1986 | 23 |
| Richard Burton | Welsh-born actor | Cerebral hemorrhage; possible complications due to alcohol, alcoholism | Alcohol | 1984 | 58 |
| Truman Capote | American writer | Liver disease complicated by phlebitis, alcohol and multiple drug intoxication | Alcohol | 1984 | 59 |
| David Kennedy | Fourth son of Robert F. Kennedy; no profession | Overdose of cocaine, meperidine, thioridazine (controversial, some say he was murdered) | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs | 1984 | 28 |
| John Belushi | American actor; comedian; musician; Saturday Night Live comedy TV show | Speedball overdose; a combination of heroin and cocaine (accidental) | Illegal drugs | 1982 | 33 |
| Jon Bonham | English musician (drummer) and songwriter (Led Zeppelin) | Asphyxiation due to massive alcohol consumption | Alcohol | 1980 | 32 |
| John Simon Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious | Musician (Sex Pistols) | Heroin overdose (suicide) | Illegal drug | 1979 | 21 |
| Keith Moon | Drummer (The Who) | Clomethiazole overdose | Prescription drug | 1978 | 32 |
| Elvis Presley | American musician, singer, actor, cultural icon | Heart arrhythmia, possibly aggravated by multiple prescriptions (methaqualone, codeine, barbiturates, cocaine), speculated | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs, speculated | 1977 | 42 |
| Freddie Prinze | Actor | Self-inflicted gunshot; possibly under influence of methaqualone, cocaine (suicide) | Mixed illegal and prescription drugs, speculated | 1977 | 22 |
| Howard Hughes | American business tycoon, movie producer and director, aviator, engineer, investor | Kidney failure; possible complications due to chronic use of aspirin (high doses) and dehydration | Nonprescription drug (not confirmed) | 1976 | 70 |
| Bruce Lee | Martial artist, actor, film director, pop culture icon | Cerebral edema due to meprobramate, aspirin | Prescription drug overdose | 1973 | 32 |
| Jim Morrison | Musician, singer, songwriter (The Doors) | Heart failure; possible heroin or cocaine overdose (disputed) | Illegal drug | 1971 | 27 |
| Jimi Hendrix | American musician and singer-songwriter | Respiratory arrest, asphyxia due to alcohol and barbiturate overdose; vomit inhalation | Mixed alcohol and prescription drugs | 1970 | 27 |
| Janis Joplin | American musician | Heroin overdose | Illegal drug | 1970 | 27 |
| Judy Garland | American actress and singer | Barbiturate (Seconal) overdose; controversial if suicide or accident | Prescription drug overdose | 1969 | 47 |
| Brian Jones | Musician (The Rolling Stones) | Drowning due to alcohol and drug intoxication | unknown | 1969 | 27 |
| Jack Kerouac | Author | Cirrhosis of liver, internal bleeding due to alcohol use | Alcohol | 1969 | 47 |
| Brian Epstein | English businessman; manager (The Beatles) | Sedative overdose (accidental) | Prescription drug overdose | 1967 | 32 |
| Lenny Bruce | American comedian | Drug overdose: morphine (accidental) | Illegal drugs | 1966 | 40 |
| Eugene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb | Football defensive lineman in the National Football League (US), Pittsburgh Steelers; professional wrestler | Heroin overdose (accidental) | Illegal drug | 1963 | 31 |
| Marilyn Monroe | American actress, model, singer, sex symbol | Barbiturate overdose (suicide) | Prescription drug | 1962 | 36 |
| Billy Holiday | American jazz singer and songwriter | Cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol; alcoholism | Alcohol | 1959 | 44 |
| Joseph McCarthy | U.S. Senator | Hepatitis exacerbated by alcohol, alcoholism | Alcohol | 1957 | 48 |
| Tommy Dorsey | American jazz musician | Choked himself while sleeping; unable to awaken due to sedative use | Prescription drug overdose | 1956 | 51 |
| Hank Williams, Sr. | Country music singer-songwriter | Heart failure, possibly alcohol, drug-related (accidental) | Mixed alcohol and Illegal drugs (speculated) | 1953 | 29 |
| Sigmund Freud | Neurologist | Physician-assisted suicide; morphine | Prescription drug overdose | 1939 | 83 |
It’s a long list. And those are just the celebrities. People are losing friends and family – whether to death or just to addiction every day. People die every fucking day. People struggle with addiction every day. The best way to not get addicted is to NOT start. Yeah – easier said than done. But, we live in a world where information is LITERALLY at your fucking fingertips. LITERALLY. Back in the day it was ‘Just Say No’…. because it’s bad. Now your happy ass has access to all sorts of information. Use it. If you are struggling and you need help – GET IT. Don’t be a statistic. Addiction is hard. Take care of yourself. Take care of your friends – because a rookie said so….