Colegiul National “Spiru Haret”

Lucrare de atestat la limba engleza

Profil: Real
Specializare: Matematica-Informatica, Engleza Intensiv

Profesor coordonator: Candidat:

Laura Roman Calin Dorina-Gheorghita

Targu-Jiu, 2019
Celebrities and Drug Abuse
 Contents

“The mentality and behavior of drug addicts and alcoholics is wholly

irrational until you understand that they are completely powerless over their
addiction and unless they have structured help, they have no hope.”
~Russell Brand~

I. Argument.
II. Introduction.
III. Contents:

1. Angelina Jolie………………... page 7;

2. Heath Ledger………………….page11;
3. Mindy McCready……………..page 13;
4. Lindsay Lohan………………...page 15;
5. Courtney Love………………...page 17;
6. Amanda Bynes………………...page 19;
7. Denis Rodman………………....page 21;
8. Mischa Barton…………………page 23;
9. Charlie Sheen………………….page 25;
10. Whitney Huston………….page 27;
11. Pete Dohorty…………......page 29;
12. Michael Jackson…………page 32;
13. Lamar Odom…………….page 34;
14. Amy Winehouse………...page 36;
15. Britney Spears…………..page 39.
IV. Conclusion.
V. Bibliography.
 I. Argument

The goal of reducing drug abuse has shaped some of the U.S. government’s
most uncompromising policies. From the strict surveillance of the U.S.-
Mexican border to national antidrug advertising campaigns, federal efforts to
reduce drug abuse have relentlessly targeted the supply and demand of illicit
drugs. Many of these tactics, including the harsh punishment of drug dealers
and habitual drug users, are punitive in nature.
However, many people tend to ignore these attempts of saving and/or
improving their lives, and choose to support the ones who illegally obtain and
sell various illegal substances from different categories: Cannabinoids
(marijuana, hashish), Opioids (heroin, opium), Stimulants (cocaine,
amphetamine, methamphetamine), club drugs (MDMA-also known as
ecstasy or Molly, GHB, Flunitrazepam or the “rape drug”), dissociative drugs
(ketamine), hallucinogens (LSD, mescaline, psilocybin) and other
compounds like anabolic steroids and inhalants. Besides these, prescription
medication are one of the most commonly misused substances leading to a
rise in the amount of opioid overdoses in the United States over the past
decade, with more than 4.3 million Americans engaged in non-medical use of
prescription medication in one month, making these drugs second only to
marijuana as the nation’s most commonly abused illicit drugs.
It is known that drug addiction represents a tough mountain to climb for
anyone, including the rich and famous, but even with the overwhelming
amount of easily accessible drugs in Hollywood, it still is surprising when our
favorite celebrities succumb to the pressures of the industry and their day-to-
day life. Unfortunately, an occasional marijuana joint turns into a full-blown
drug addiction for an overwhelming majority of well-known faces across the
globe.
I have chosen to talk about this subject as a consequence of the increased
consumption of illicit substances across the world. Today, more than 7
million people suffer from an illicit drug disorder, and one in four deaths
results from illicit drug use. In fact, more deaths, illnesses and disabilities are
associated with drug abuse than any other preventable health condition.
People suffering from drug and alcohol addiction also have a higher risk of
unintentional injuries, accidents and domestic violence incidents.
It is even worse is when famous faces of Hollywood, the music or sport
industry tend to succumb to these “miracle” substances for various reasons,
while they should be the first to give an example to the youth of our society
and stay as far as possible from drug consumption.
In the following pages I will present a few stories of more or less famous
faces from across the globe and how they handled their drug addiction.
 III. Contents

1. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie, actress and humanitarian, is no stranger to addiction. Born

in California in 1975, the daughter of actor Jon Voight and actress
Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie began acting a young age. She first appeared in
short film and television roles that gradually landed her larger roles in feature
films, such as 1995’s cult classic “Hackers”. Jolie gained acclaim for her
acting skills as well as her renowned beauty. Jolie has revealed little about
this time of her life, but in interviews and excerpts from books she has
alluded to struggling with addiction.
“I know addiction in all forms.”
In 1997, Jolie landed a series of starring roles, including a turn playing
opposite David Duchovny in the film “Playing God”, starring in the CBS
miniseries “True Women”, and featuring as a stripper in the Rolling Stone’s
music video for “Anybody Seen My Baby”. Her fame gradually grew larger,
offering more opportunities for bigger roles but also opening the door to
greater temptations. On her rise to fame, Jolie has mentioned trying just about
every drug possible.
“I’ve done coke, heroin, ecstasy, LSD, everything”
 The actress has admitted that her use of these illicit narcotics was connected
to her own deep seated issues with depression that have affected her since her
teens. Jolie has also admitted to cutting herself as a means of relieving the
feelings of emptiness and loss. Cutting is sometimes used by people to
provide relief and give a sense of control over emotional pain. Jolie has never
delved deeply into specifics of her struggles, but given her fame and success
it is not hard to imagine the stress.

"So I am very lucky. There are other artists and people that didn't
survive certain things ... people can imagine that I did the most
dangerous, and I did the worst...for many reasons, I shouldn't be here.
You just... too many times where you came close to too many dangerous
things, too many chances taken too, too far."

Jolie starred in a number of higher profile films in the late nineties, such as
“Gia” and “Girl, Interrupted”. Ironically enough, Jolie’s role in “Gia” was of
an aging supermodel struggling with the end of her career, a crippling
addiction to heroin, and whom eventually dies from AIDS. Jolie was known
for method acting at the time and refused to get out of character between
takes. Angelina Jolie caught her biggest break when she starred in the
international blockbuster film “Tomb Raider”. This film grossed huge
numbers and cemented Jolie as one of Hollywood’s most sought after film
stars.
 There was a dark underside to this success tale however. Prior to and
throughout the filming of Tomb Raider, Jolie was forced to submit to daily
drug tests in order to keep her role. Her drug use had become tabloid fodder
when in 1998, a video was released by her drug dealer of Jolie pacing around
an apartment after scoring both heroin and cocaine. Ultimately, it was the
dangerous and dark past of hers that helped Jolie land the role, at least
according to director Simon West. However, her hard work paid off in the
end, as “Tomb Raider” was a wild success.

“I do believe in the old saying, 'What doesn't kill you makes you
stronger.' Our experiences, good and bad, make us who we are. By
overcoming difficulties, we gain strength and maturity.”

Instead of turning back to drugs and alcohol, Jolie opted to dedicate her life
to humanitarian efforts. In 2001, Jolie was named Goodwill Ambassador for
the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. According to the actress,
the honor and responsibility associated with this role motivated her to leave
behind her past with substance abuse and to help others. According to the UN
Refugee agency, Jolie has completed more than 40 missions to some of the
world’s most remote regions.
 "We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that
millions of people are out there suffering. I honestly want to help. I don't
believe I feel differently from other people. I think we all want justice
and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to
believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us."

Today, Jolie tends to stay out of the limelight and has settled into her role as
a director and mother. She has directed three films and produced numerous
others. Her films continue to garner wide audiences and her work with
humanitarian organizations is widespread and impactful, including work
helping refugees, conservation, community development, child immigration,
education, human rights, women’s rights, and numerous more. She has
received several humanitarian awards and was the first recipient of the
Citizen of the World Award by the United Nations Correspondents
Association.
Angelina Jolie’s story offers hope to those who are struggling with
substance abuse issues in the present. Despite a troubling past, issues with
depression, and experimentation with narcotics, Jolie was able to set her life
on the right track and channel her struggles towards helping others. It’s never
too late to get the help of a certified drug and alcohol rehab center to stop the
progression of addiction.
 2. Heath Ledger

Few tragic Hollywood tales loom as haunting as the death of Heath Ledger.
A dedicated thespian and Academy Award nominee, Ledger had supposedly
grown so wholly invested in his role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight” that
he was unable to sleep and had developed a reliance on Ambien pills.
 On January 22, 2008 Ledger was found unresponsive in his Soho apartment
with a toxicology report later confirming that he had, accidentally, overdosed
on a lethal cocktail of prescription medication.
Left behind by the 28-year-old was a chilling, iconic performance that
earned him a posthumous Academy Award for best supporting actor.
 3. Mindy McCready

Ironically, the tragic life of country singer Mindy McCready seems like it
was pulled directly from the lyrics of a country song.

The “ten thousand angels” singer turned to drugs while involved in an

abusive relationship with aspiring musician Billy McKnight and was later
hospitalized following an overdose.
 Despite appearing on reality TV show “Celebrity rehab”, McCready
continued her descent into addiction after the death of her at-the-time
boyfriend, David Wilson.

Suffering from depression, she would later lose custody of her children and
attempt suicide on multiple occasions before doing so successfully on
February 17, 2013.
 4. Lindsay Lohan

The cute, spunky redhead who stole hearts while starring in Disney films
“The parent trap” and “Herbie: Fully loaded” became a cautionary tale of the
“too much, too soon” Hollywood limelight.

Starting in 2007, Lohan began demonstrating a troublesome pattern of child

behavior that included multiple DUI’s and variety of other misdemeanors
costing her movie roles and tarnishing her previously pure reputation.
 Since then, she has come to be known for a seemingly endless trainwreck
of embarrassing public appearances, run-ins with the law and some terrifying
plastic surgery mishaps.
 5. Courtney Love

Every adult must be held accountable for their own actions, but it still
remains awfully hard to place all the blame on Courtney Love for her
problematic history with drugs.

The lead singer of “Hole” was introduced to LSD by her father at the age of
four and went through the very public suicide of then-boyfriend Kurt Cobain,
with her struggles with drugs being reported as one of his primary causes for
his self-induced death. No wonder, then, that she would turn back to pills,
cocaine and anything else that she could find to help cope with Cobain’s
passing.
 That is, until she got clean thanks to a pair of rehab stints in 2005 and 2006
and is now enjoying her life together with her daughter.
 6. Amanda Bynes

It has been a rapid downward spiral for former Nickledeon star Amanda
Bynes ever since 2012, when a DUI and two hit-and-runs incidents sparked a
series of steady reckless driving violations over the next two years.

From there, she was also arrested for criminal possession of marijuana after
New York police observed Bynes throwing a bong out the window of her 36th
floor apartment building in an effort to destroy evidence.
 Things have only gotten stranger for the “She’s the man” actress since, with
authorities forcing her to enter a UCLA phychiatric facility after she was
caught starting a fire in the driveway of a stranger’s house.
 7. Dennis Rodman

In 2011, Dennis Rodman was inducted into the basketball hall of fame
following a decorated career which included five NBA titles, two ALL-
STAR appearances and a seven-year stretch in which he led the league in
rebounding each season.

However, that all takes a firm back seat to the legacy of eccentricity that
“The Worm” has cultivated through strange style choices, bizarre behavior
and unpredictable publicity campaigns that have included a friendship with
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
 Rodman’s checkered history with drug abuse includes an alleged heroin
overdose in 2012, a brief stint on “Celebrity rehab” and a mountainous debt
brought on by unpaid child support.
 8. Mischa Barton

On the hit teen drama “The O.C.”, Mischa Barton’s Marisa Cooper
struggled with drug and alcohol abuse before dying in a car crash at the end
of season three.

While Barton remains very much alive in real life, lingering substance
abuse problems have served as an example of life imitating art.
 Barton’s drug-fueled rap sheet includes a DUI arrest in 2007 and a lawsuit
filed by her former landlord for tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.
Most notably, drug problems contributed to a barren acting wasteland after
leaving “The O.C.” with limited opportunities in Hollywood beyond a short
stint on “Dancing with the stars”.
 9. Charlie Sheen

Few celebrities have experienced a meltdown so dramatically public as the

man who introduced the terms “tiger blood” and “wining” into the common
vernacular.

Charlie Sheen boasts a long, checkered history of substance abuse and other
indiscretions, but things went completely off the rails in 2011 when he was
fired from the hit CBS sitcom “Two and a half men”.
 From there, amidst widespread rumors of rampant cocaine abuse, Sheen
demonstrated some truly bizarre and off-kiltered behavior which resulted in a
level of public fascination that led to a muti-city comedy tour and even to the
development of FX sitcom “Anger management”.
 10. Whitney Huston

A tumultuous and abusive relationship with R&B singer Bobby Brown also
introduced pop icon Whitney Huston to drugs, a continuous problem that
would ultimately lead to her drowning death in February of 2012.

Speculations about Huston’s drug addiction emerged in 2000 when airport

security guards in Hawaii found marijuana stored in the luggage of both her
and Brown.
 After exhibiting erratic behavior over the next few years, she responded to
Diane Sawyer’s questions about drug rumors by simply saying that crack was
too cheap for her to bother with in the first place.

Her death came right before she was to appear at the 2012 Grammy
Awards, drowning in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room after taking
cocaine.
 11. Pete Dohorty

The English musician and frontman of “The Libertines” became the

subject of tabloid magazines, not because of his music, but because of his
drug addiction.
“I was 16 when someone offered me a spliff and said, ‘You'll love it, it'll
make you laugh’. That was cannabis, and it just made me feel a bit sick
really. At 17 or 18 I moved down to London. I was like a greyhound out of
the traps, with this wonderful mysterious world of drugs.

I was into psychedelic music from the Sixties, and I'd go to these
underground clubs. There were loads of drugs around: weed, speed, LSD,
but in the back of my mind there was always heroin. Long before I came
across it, heroin was there. Except in these early years it wasn't called
heroin; I called it opium.
To me it wasn't a dirty street drug, it was this magic potion I read about.
It was Kubla Khan, Thomas DeQuincy, Oscar Wilde: it was an aspect of
their world that appealed to me - the opiated dream-world. Eventually I
came across someone who could get some. I remember it was quite a big
moment for me, taking it for the first time. I was 22 or 23. I put it in a spliff
and smoked it and went to bed expecting to have all these amazing
dreams.”
 The former boyfriend of supermodel Kate Moss was arrested for multiple
drug offenses, including driving under the influence and possession of crack,
heroin, canabis and ketamine. The singer has also been loked up in jail and
forced into rehab to get rid of his habit.

“Now, more than 10 years on, I can see that drugs have flummoxed me.
In most aspects of my life I think I'm a pretty sane person. If I hadn't been
successful with my music, I think I would have pushed myself to be
successful at something else because I'm like that - I'm a grafter. But I got
addicted. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't.”
Things got really out of control when he not only started using drugs again,
but he was also selling them to support his addiction.
“But I remember one time, where I ended up in a prison cell, and it was
so squalid. I was crouched down in the corner with some guy using a spoon
to try and get heroin out of my arse - and yet I still thought I was enjoying
using drugs - it's insane.”
His fast and drug-fuelled lifestyle has definitely taken a toll on his looks,
and the rocker is now hardly recognizable to fans.
 “I'm beginning to understand that recovery from addiction, like any
other chronic disease, is not about willpower, it's about treatment and
maintenance of the recovery or remission phase.”
Now, after a lifetime of poorly made decisions, the singer has a message for
everyone out there who is struggling with an addiction:
“To anyone struggling with addiction, I would say this: just hang on,
hang on. There is a way out. You will heal. I don't care how much damage
you've done, you can heal. I would say ask someone for help, just get
yourself along to an NA or AA meeting, you'll be amazed. I know I was.
There are so many people out there who inspire me, not famous people,
just people who got clean. And it's just that; just one addict giving another
addict hope. Someone gets clean, turns their life around and says, "Yeah I
have, and so can you". Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-step programs
say the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is unparalleled.
You'll be amazed at the power. You might think it's just some mad old
duffer babbling on, but it's like it's you sitting there. They're just like you.
Only they're clean now, and it's amazing. “
 12. Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s career became overshadowed by his drastically changing

appearance, his zany antics and his death that was marked by drug abuse.

The king of pop struggled with prescription drug use for years and
following his death, it was confirmed that his drug of choice was an
anesthetic called Propofol.

On June 25, 2009, the singer Michael Jackson died of

acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his home. His personal
physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing
and with a weak pulse, and administered CPR on Jackson to no avail. After
security called 9-1-1 at 12:21 p.m. local time, Jackson was treated
by paramedics at the scene and pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan
UCLA Medical Center.
On August 28, 2009, the Los Angeles County Coroner concluded that
Jackson's death was a homicide. Shortly before his death, Jackson had
reportedly been administered propofol and two anti-anxiety
benzodiazepines, lorazepam and midazolam, in his home.
 13. Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom had a promising career in the NBA, and he even managed to
win two championship rings with the Los Angeles Lakers. But after marrying
Khloe Kardashian, the former basketball player’s drug addiction was
uncovered.

In October 2015, he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel after an

overdose. Although he was given a new lease on life, his drug addiction has
proven to be stronger than his desire to stay sober. Khloe has filed for
divorce after it was revealed that Lamar returned to boozing and smoking
crack.
Before Lamar Odom voluntarily checked into rehab last month, he
appeared on an episode of “The Doctor” to talk about his battle with
addiction. In the interview, the former Los Angeles Lakers star revealed he
“wasn’t in a good place mentally” before he nearly lost his life to a drug
overdose four months ago and said he and his wife at the time, Khloe
Kardashian, were “going through some things.”
 Now that Odom is back home – he checked out of Casa Palmera Treatment
Center in San Diego, California on January 5th – Odom returned to the show
on Tuesday to give an update on his life.
“I feel good, man. I’m great,” Odom said. “Living. Sober. Hopefully I
have a long life ahead of me.”
Odom touched on a number of topics in the hour-long episode, ranging
from how he was “basically just committing suicide” with his drug use to his
desire to rekindle the many relationships he lost along the way. Odom even
talked specifically about the lessons he learned while he was in rehab.
“You become so distant. Using drugs, it numbs you to everything. Even
your feelings. Being at Casa, I learned how to live in the moment. Being –
mentally and physically – is important to me, especially when dealing with
my children.”

Odom went on to say he’s most looking forward to getting Khloe back
now that he’s sober. When asked if he has a message for Khloe and the rest
of his family, Odom apologized to them for “all that wasted time and all that
wasted energy” and said he didn’t know who he was during his addiction. As
for his biggest regret, Odom mentioned all the time he missed with his
children.
 14. Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was an exceptional talent whose wild and too brief career
was cut short seven years ago today. On July 23, 2011, the soul singer died of
alcohol poisoning and became yet another member of the "27 Club."

Growing up, Amy Winehouse wanted only one thing: to perform. The
daughter of a taxi driver and a pharmacist who was raised in the London
suburb of Southgate, Winehouse was bored at school and rebelled against her
teachers because she was only interested in one subject: music.
"...this dream to be very famous"
At the age of 12, Amy competed confidently at the prestigious Sylvia
Young Theater School. In her application, she wrote: "I would say that my
school life and school reports are filled with 'could do betters' and 'does
not work to her full potential.' I want to go somewhere where I am
stretched right to my limits and perhaps even beyond. To sing in lessons
without being told to shut up … But mostly I have this dream to be very
famous. To work on stage. It's a lifelong ambition. I want people to hear
my voice and just…forget their troubles for five minutes."
The headmistress was amazed by Amy's talent: "It is hard to overstate
just how much she struck me as unique, both as a composer and
performer, from the moment she first came through the doors at the age
of 13, sporting the same distinctive hairstyle that she has now.Her
abilities could put her in the same league as Judy Garland or Ella
Fitzgerald. She could be one of the greats," Sylvia Young remembered
years later. Amy was overjoyed when she was inducted into London's well-
known talent factory.
Amy Winehouse was only 19 when she signed her first record deal. A year
later, her debut album "Frank" was released in 2004 and immediately reached
number 3 on the British charts. Not only did Amy sing, she also wrote about
her life. On “Frank” she processed the relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
Amy was a white woman with a black soul voice, the critics enthused. She
herself was inspired by the 1960s, calling Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington
and Ella Fitzgerald her role models. The idiosyncratic singer also adapted a
sixties fashion aesthetic with trademark beehive hairstyle and thick eyeliner.
But her mega success was coupled with increasing discomfort on stage and
a fear of performing in front of large audiences. Perhaps to compensate, she
began to roam the clubs and bars after concerts and drowned the pressure to
perform in alcohol.
On one of her pub crawls, Amy met the heroin-addicted Blake Fielder-Civil
and instantly fell for him. With her new lover she plunged more and more
often into drug and alcohol excesses. When he left her after a few months,
Winehouse was devastated and sang about their tumultuous relationship on
the album “Back To Black”. The album earned her five Grammy awards and
finally made her a world star.

But it was the song "Rehab" — about the unsuccessful attempt by her father
and her manager to put Winehouse in a rehabilitation clinic — that
dominated the charts. She wrote the song in a couple of hours and it became
an anthem for a generation of young tortured souls.
Eighteen months after the split, Blake Fielder-Civil knocked on
Winehouse's door again. The two married, but the relationship was fraught.
They divorced around two years later in 2009.

Winehouse's career was concurrently stalling. She often staggered drunk on

stage and her once powerful voice sounded weak and hollow. Audiences
booed her. Concerts were stopped and whole tours were canceled — for
"health reasons," said her management. But everyone knew that Amy
Winehouse had a massive alcohol problem.
On July 23, 2011, her bodyguard found her dead in her London apartment.
She overdosed on a lethal mix of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine, whiskey
and vodka.
"She could bring songs to life like no other," wrote an English journalist
after her death. "But she was unable to live her own life."
 15. Britney Spears

Britney Spears has been in the music industry since her teenage years, and
the pressures of being one of the hottest singers definitely took its toll on her.

Suddenly, cranking out the hits was placed on the back burner and Britney
became a full-time party girl. Her late night partying complete with drug
bings, landed her in rehab and psychiatric ward. Her family has finally been
able to step in and remove the bad influences from her life, including her
former manager Sam Lutfi who was accused of fueling her habit.
 Today, Britney’s life, career and finaces are controled by her father who
was granted legal conservatorship.
 IV. Conclusion

To sum up, more and more people are tempted by the excitement or
possibly the escape these drugs seem to offer. Learning about the facts of
these drugs can help you see the potential risk of chasing these empty
promises. Some use drugs as a way to escape reality and some may use them
just to fit in, while others use them to be rebellious and get attention. Many
people use drugs because they feel it will help them cope with whatever
feelings they are trying to mask. The sad truth is that, after using, many of
them have a feeling of regret and feel worse than they did to begin with.
Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person’s life.
No matter what type of drug you try, you are just a step closer to becoming
another number on the addiction list; all it takes is one time try and to like its
effects. Drugs can ruin everything you have worked so hard for.
 V. Bibliography

1. https://www.gatewayfoundation.org/substance-abuse-treatment-
programs/effects-of-drug-abuse/
2. https://www.projectknow.com/drug-addiction/effects/
3. https://www.worldometers.info/drugs/
4. https://www.centeronaddiction.org/addiction/commonly-used-illegal-
drugs
5. 10 Celebrities with a Heroin Addiction
6. Famous Coke Addicts | List of Celebrities Addicted to Cocaine
7. 12 celebrities talk about drug addiction
8. http://www.dikseo.teimes.gr/spoudastirio/E-
NOTES/D/Drug_Abuse_Viewpoints.pdf
9. “Facts on drugs and drug abuse: A guide for adolescents and teens”
Written by National Institute on Drug Abuse;
10. “Heroine” Written by Mindy McGinnis;
11. “Amphetamines and Other Uppers” Written by Linda Bayer;
12. “The war on drugs: A failed experiment” Written by Paula
Malea;
13. “Drugs-whithout the hot air: Minimising the harms of legal and
illegal drugs” Written by David Nutt.
7