What do Avicii, Mac Miller, and Philip Seymour Hoffman have in common? They were all incredibly talented superstars who paved the way for EDM music, subtle rap music, and film making in their respective industries. They gained millions of fans, claimed countless awards, and seemed to live a perfect life that anyone who wish for. The reality is that these are celebrities who have passed away only this year from drug overdose.
Drug overdose claims the lives of thousands of people in the United States alone every year. We are one of the nations in the world that is suffering from a serious opioid epidemic at this point in time. The drug is getting into many people’s hands who aren’t aware of how to use it properly. Often, the people who fall victim to its grasp either self-induced too much dosage or didn’t realize that they can’t control their body during a high. No one is completely safe, and the list of influential people who didn’t take their health into account is growing larger by the year. If you happen to be reading this, take it as a cue to learn about what the side effects and health risks are for the most popular drugs today. Whether you vowed to never touch drugs or occasionally smoke with some friends over the weekend, it’s crucial to know how certain drugs can affect your body so you can live a life that’s long, happy, and one you’re proud of.
Changing the Entertainment Industry
The multiple deaths of talented singers, actors, models, and politicians has us all wondering the same thing; how did they not see it coming? You might think that someone apparently addicted to drugs would know their body enough to stop taking the substance before it’s too much. The sad thing is that our mind operates differently under an addiction to drugs, and often the growing dosages are being used to cover up a deeper problem. Maybe it’s helping the person deal with a failed relationship, feeling worthless, fear of boredom, or satisfying their hunger for excitement. Add in being obscenely rich, famous, and under the public microscope and you might get a better perspective of why so many figures even this year in the entertainment industry have turned to drugs.
For the branch of hip hop music, the deaths of Mac Miller and Lil Peep recently have shattered the beliefs about drugs for many. Before his death, Lil Peep sang about his addiction to taking Xanax, crack, and a wax form of marijuana to escape the evils of his life, battle the voices in his head, and fit in with his crowd. Mac Miller’s album “Self Care”, repeatedly mentioned his addiction to drugs and the darkness of emotions that came with. This is marked as a norm in rap as drinking alcohol, smoking weed, and using crack are hallmarked as the gateway to higher creativity, promiscuity, and signify wealth. The drug stigma for rap and almost any other musical genre overall is at an all-time high. At what cost is this landmark? How many lives will it take until someone realizes that satisfying a culture norm, continually running away from their problems, or showing off financial status is worth it?
At the same time our favorite entertainers are falling to drugs, prescription drug addiction came to an all-time high this year. Approximately 91 people every day have died of opioid overdoses with consistent marketing, a weak regulation by our healthcare system and glamourization from mainstream songs. Most people know someone who have experience a drug overdose or are battling substance abuse. Even though I was never someone to take part in intense drugs, I’ve experienced taking marijuana and have lived with roommates who had a much more serious addition to the substance.
My point is that no matter where you come from, where you go to school, work, or socialize with, the problem is not uncommon anywhere. With that being said, it’s your and my responsibility to stay as informed as possible. Being educated is never looked down upon. In fact, it might save your life or someone else you know.
Be Prepared For Drug Overdose
If you are finding resources to learn about the different side effects of drugs, the easiest and most time efficient platform is visiting a drug glossary. The name sounds like it’s an encyclopedia of all the drug names known to man and can take hours to read, but it’s actually the opposite. A drug glossary is great way to quickly learn the side effects, overall history, popular uses, and signs of overdose for. And since it’s online, you can access it from any device that has connection. Even if you are about to take a drug for medical purpose, accessing a drug glossary for the same reason is great to prevent any annoying symptoms and learn about what other drugs it’s compatible to take with. For example, if you regularly take allergy medicine and are prescribed a drug for pain relief or for a flu, you might want to know how they interact together in your body.
There are no excuses here to not stay as informed as possible. If you know someone you might need help or is talking about experimenting with a certain drug, make sure you tell them what you know. The risks and life endangering symptoms that certain drugs bring can be a deciding factor for them to abstain from trying it in the first place. If someone is already using a drug regularly, talking with them about their usage in an open minded way can be a great way to help them process the risks as well. It doesn’t hurt to spread the word when you have a person’s health and overall well-being in mind.
