Drug overdose deaths among celebrities

Five persons have been charged with Matthew Perry’s October 2023 death. Perry’s death joins other celebrities who died from drug abuse or misuse.

The drug or alcohol-related death of a celebrity or athlete often raises many questions. Such tragedies have affected beloved superstars including Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Heath Ledger. Drug usage can cause numerous deaths, however overdoses are not usually intentional.

Mixing prescription pharmaceuticals with alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, or herbal supplements can potentially cause drug-related death. Drug interactions may potentially cause drug fatalities. Multiple central nervous system depressants such opioid painkillers, sedatives, hypnotics, or alcohol can cause an unintended overdose due to significant respiratory depression.

Mixing illegal, prescription, and over-the-counter drugs can be risky, so patients should consult their doctor. Use of prescribed pharmaceuticals alongside illegal drugs or alcohol can cause unpredictable and lethal reactions, and many deaths may have been avoided.

Intoxication and drug overdose can cause unintentional death and suicide. Overdosing or polydrug intoxication (CDI) can cause death. Due to adverse effects and pharmacological synergy, poly drug use is riskier than single drug use. When combined with alcohol, opiate overdoses are more deadly.[2] CDI deaths are commonly misclassified as overdoses.[3] Drug overdoses and intoxication can kill indirectly. Marijuana does not cause deadly overdoses, however intoxication can increase driving fatalities.[4]

Due to drug commercialisation and availability, drug usage and overdoses surged throughout the 1800s. Opium and coca have been used for centuries, but morphine and the cocaine alkaloid were isolated in 1803 and 1855, respectively.[5]Cocaine and other opiates were mass-produced and sold legally in the West, causing widespread abuse and addiction.[7]Since the hypodermic syringe was invented in 1853, drug usage and addiction skyrocketed, with overdose becoming the major cause of mortality among intravenous drug users [9].[10]

Drug prohibition began in the early 20th century, but its efficacy is disputed. Drug overdose deaths rise. Between 2000 and 2014, fatal overdoses jumped 137% in the US, killing nearly half a million people [11]. They have also increased in Australia, Scotland, England, and Wales.

In some nations, prescription drug usage kills more people than illegal drugs.[12]Cocaine and heroin killed fewer people in the UK in 2013[17][18] and in the US in 2008 than prescribed opioids alone.[19] Diazepam (Valium) was the most deadly benzodiazepine overdose in Australia in 2016[20].Fatal overdoses from opioids, cocaine, and alcohol are common, whereas caffeine deaths are rare.[21]

This alphabetical list includes 634 drug overdose or acute drug intoxication deaths. We’ll note in the ‘notes’ column if drug overdose or drunkenness was solely suspected of killing. Sources list fatalities as’suicide’, ‘accidental‘, ‘undetermined’, or otherwise in the ’cause’ column.

Sources without intent are indicated as ‘unknown’ in this column. This list includes drug overdose and intoxication-related accidents and mishaps. Lethal injection, legal euthanasia, and long-term medication effects including tobacco-related malignancies and alcohol-induced cirrhosis are excluded.

Drug overdose deaths among celebrities

By knl9j

Related Post

The most popular Spanish films

Guide to an alternative Halloween

Hollywood must reconsider superheroes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You Missed

The most popular Spanish films

Guide to an alternative Halloween

Hollywood must reconsider superheroes

Microsoft’s ‘Call of Duty