Prescription drugs have led to many addictions and deaths by overdose. While this happens to regular people every day, it is not reacted upon the way it is when it is a celebrity. It is quite a different story when you start talking about some of the most famous icons around. Sadly, ironically, many talented and wonderful people end up having their Oscar moment in time be known as their last: drug-related deaths.
When you think of Marilyn Monroe, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Hopefully, it is that she was beautiful and considered one of the sexiest movie stars of all time. But how many of you thought immediately of her death by an overdose of barbiturates and sleeping pills?
Elvis Presley was the King of Rock and Roll and Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. Does that come to you immediately or is it the irony that both Elvis and Michael Jackson died of prescription drug overdose. Medications given to them by their own doctors, who knew they were over-prescribing. Brittany Murphy’s death due to prescribed meds in addition to having pneumonia and anemia.
Do you remember the hit TV show Chico and the Man? While some of you are familiar with the talented actor Freddie Prinze, Jr., some of us remember his father, Freddie Prinze from that wonderful comedy. We also remember how he tragically died at the age of 22 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while high on Quaaludes.
There is no telling how far Jimi Hendrix might have gone had the talented young guitarist not died from barbiturate intoxication. In other words, yes, another prescription drug overdose.
Perhaps the saddest irony in a celebrity prescription drug death is that of Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who. After watching them play during the Super Bowl Half Time Show, I felt a little misty-eyed. Though barely a teenager myself when he died in 1978, to this day I remember it was a prescription drug overdose. After doing a little research, I found that it was a prescription meant to help him withdraw from another drug he was addicted to. This gives an excellent argument for those treatment programs that prefer the natural route.
My children loved the show Different Strokes when they were little. I enjoyed watching it with them as well. Granted, it was re-runs but they didn’t know that at the time and it was of no matter to us, we only knew we enjoyed the show as a family. It was with a touch of sadness that we learned of Dana Plato’s death in Oklahoma of an accidental overdose from the prescription drugs Vicodin and a muscle relaxant.
Whether a rapper such as Pimp C or a talented actor such as Heath Ledger, losing their life to an overdose of prescription drugs seems like such a sad waste. What these and others before them could have gone on to do in life will never be known now as their lives will forever be overshadowed by the way they died. That is the saddest Oscar moment in time for these wonderfully talented people who died all too soon.