Celebrity culture includes the notion that one should have their name associated with a cause. It does something for their public image. Celebrities take a stand for social justice issues including, but not limited to, poverty in the 3rd world and stateside, the ethical treatment of animals, physical disabilities, veteran affairs, bullying and over the past decade or so a large focus has been on mental health. Unfortunately the names associated with disorders such as addiction, or the even simpler substance abuse, are usually the names of those who are no longer with us because of their passing due to a drug or alcohol problem.
While this post relates with the death, an apparent heroin overdose, of the ever-talented and most-beloved actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, it has been brewing in my mind for quite some time. We live in a world of stigma. We live in a world of double standards. We live in a world where in North America we possess just over 4% of the world’s population, yet consume over 65% of the world’s supply of hard drugs.* We excuse politicians and celebrities substance use as a normalcy. The news hits the media and will cause an uproar that many of us get caught up in and the damning thing is we can’t get enough of the train wreck.
Recently embattled “Mayor” of Toronto, Rob Ford, indicated that people shouldn’t be putting pressure on, or be boycotting, or even be upset at Justin Bieber for his recent DUI because he’s “only 19.” That attitude is sickening. It’s alright to recklessly put lives in danger while abusing mind-altering substances because you’re 19 years old? Give me a freaking break! In Ottawa, Ontario, radio station Hot 89.9 recently put a ban on playing Justin Bieber songs on their airwaves until he decides to go to a rehab facility, which is all fine and dandy, but rehab only works for those who can even take the first step when it comes to substance abuse problems and actually admit that they have a problem.
Most won’t. Who wants to be called a drug addict? Most drug users believe they have their habits under control, some of them might, but some of them might also float away on their high and never return, only to be found in a washroom with a needle in their arm. We have built a stigma around drug use and addiction that I believe will never fully be broken down until drug law itself is reformed. In the United States 25% of federal inmates are there on drug charges.** Portugal decriminalized illicit drug use and ten years later drug abuse in Portugal was halved.*** Portugal was able to break down a stigma. Users were able to get help. Police were able to put efforts into punishing dealers over users. Money was put into rehabilitation facilities for those who actually wanted treatment.
As an addiction counselor in Canada it is typically a 3-4 month wait to get into an effective and reputable rehab facility for someone who wants to go (unless you’re filthy rich – money can buy you anything – even if it means bumping a poorer addict from a spot they had waited months to get). Imagine if someone tried to commit suicide and the hospital told them they would have to wait 3-4 months to get into a Mindfulness program or start getting full time mental health treatment? People would be outraged. So why aren’t we outraged at the lack of services for those who need it? Why aren’t we outraged that people are dying and their deaths could be prevented?
This post did start off talking about the celebrity culture and I mentioned double standards at the same time. We care so often when a celebrity passes away, especially when it’s drug related, yet when the homeless man down the street passes away from alcoholism that has literally caused his liver to leak we don’t bat an eye. We focus so hard on the Philip Seymour Hoffman’s of the world and neglect the veterans suffering from PTSD who have started to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol and are drinking their way to an early grave. We hold vigils for the Cory Monteith’s yet when a junkie passes away from OD’ing in a back alley we make snide remarks about their behaviour and/or lifestyle and don’t give it a second thought.
We need to stop this. Right now. The only way to prevent these deaths, famous or not, is to accept addiction for what it is, a mental health disorder, a disease, an illness and start treatment. We need to focus more on helping a substance abuser more than punishing them. Celebrities looking for causes to raise money for? Celebrities looking for causes to put a name on? How about work on breaking down the stigma around drug abuse and encouraging people to come out of their hiding places and help remove a lot of the shame and secrecy that comes with drug use.
These deaths are preventable. For the rich and the famous, the poor and the lowly, and everyone in between.
Reviews Like a Champ 
Very interesting. This is a well written, passionate and thought-provoking piece on a usually untouched aspect of a topic that will be on everyone’s lips for a while. Well done!
Thanks for the read/follow/like. The topic does mean a lot – and is something that I come back to time and time again in my writing. Take care!