Celebrity Drug Abuse - The Horrific Face Of Celebrity Drug Abuse

So often do we see on television or read in newspapers a celebrity entering into a drug rehabilitation center or coming out of it. As a matter of fact, this drama continues to go on - with only the characters changing at times. Actors, singers, directors - celebrities belonging to each of these and even more categories are found to be victims of drug abuse. And if we may describe it this way, the horrific face of drug abuse we won't forget in a hurry is that of Amy Winehouse, a well-known celebrity.

Let us look at Amy Winehouse as a test case. It was just horrific to find the famous singer's body, especially her face, arms and fore arms, suddenly filled with blistered rash. The singer's personal staff tried to explain that she was afflicted with a skin disease named impetigo, a type of skin infection. But many believed that the singer's notorious drug abuse was to blame for her horrific looks.

Amy Winehouse was forced to enter a rehabilitation center by her record label bosses who wanted her to get over her drug and alcohol abuse problem and prepare herself for the Grammy Awards in the United States. As she was denied her US visa, her performance was broadcast to the US live via satellite. But the hopes of those who were hoping to discover a new drug-free post-rehab Amy were disappointed. Hardly a week after her apparent improvement, she again presented an ugly picture of a series of horrific-looking skin lesions on her face and arms, causing fresh suspicions that she was back on drug abuse.

And before any explanation was offered, a friend of Amy's reportedly revealed how the drugged-out Amy stubbed out a burning cigarette on her own cheek and seemed hardly bothered because she was so intoxicated. This horrific face of drug abuse is not Amy's alone - there are numerous cases of such celebrity drug abuse.

The life of a celebrity, behind its glitz and glamour, is full of worries and tensions. Gruesome work schedules, frequent traveling, photo shoots, plane flights across the country and constant attention in the spotlight take their toll on the person. When the pressure becomes too much to bear, they take to drugs or alcohol for finding an escape route. For them, drugs are affordable no matter what their prices are.

Lindsay Lohan is another celebrity who took to drug abuse failing to cope with her celebrity status and its trappings. There are so many celebrity names that have one time or the other become the victims of drug or alcohol abuse. Some of them are Eddie Van Halen, Yasmine Bleeth, Nicole Richie, Kate Moss, Gary Busey, Britney Spears, 5 Nick Nolte, Courtney Love, Drew Barrymore, Whitney Houston, and Robert Downey Jr etc. In fact, the list is far from exhaustive and can be considered only the tip of the iceberg.

It is possible that not every celebrity can handle his/her star status properly. Perhaps the fame, money, stardom, constant attention etc. produce a potent cocktail that go to their heads. This, in turn, leads them to the fantasy world of drugs and alcohol. They suffer and we see the unfamiliar, horrific face of them. Hope we don't see yet another celebrity disappearing through the gates of a rehabilitation center.

• Emma Bullock
• 10/04/2009, 2:59 PM
• 0 Comments