Cocaine, derived from the coca plant, acts as a stimulant, inducing feelings of euphoria and heightened alertness among its users. Its recreational use remained legal in the United States until 1914.

Historical Use in Patent Medicines

Prior to 1914, cocaine was a common ingredient in patent medicines. Notably, Vin Mariani, a popular beverage, gained widespread fame and was even endorsed by Pope Leo XIII.

Modern Legal and Health Concerns

Today, cocaine use is strictly illegal and carries severe legal repercussions. Recreational users face significant risks, including the potential for overdose.

List of Notable Figures

Despite its legal status, cocaine remains accessible to the affluent and famous. Below is a compilation of fifteen well-known individuals who struggled with cocaine addiction:

1. John Belushi

John Belushi’s Tragic Battle with Cocaine Addiction. John Belushi’s Hollywood legacy is overshadowed by his infamous cocaine use.

He reportedly engaged in risky behaviors like “cocaine chicken,” a game where he and friends raced to snort the most cocaine from a line poured on a surface.

Tragically, Belushi’s addiction played a significant role in his premature death at just thirty-three years old.

2. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston: A Musical Icon’s Struggle with Substance Abuse

Whitney Houston, a celebrated R&B soul singer with seven Grammy wins and twenty-six nominations, tragically passed away prematurely due to drug-related causes.

At the age of forty-eight, Houston was found deceased in a hotel bathtub. The medical examiner determined that heart disease exacerbated by cocaine use contributed to her death.

In a candid 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston spoke openly about her career and battles with substance abuse, reflecting that she viewed herself, rather than the drugs, as the root of her struggles.

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3. Ike Turner

Ike Turner’s Struggle with Cocaine and Legal Issues

Ike Turner, renowned rock ‘n roll musician, tragically succumbed to a cocaine overdose in 2008. Throughout his life, Turner openly battled with drug abuse, which was evident in earlier interviews.

In 1989, Turner faced legal repercussions and was sentenced to seventeen months in prison due to drug-related offenses.

4. Tim Allen

Tim Allen: From Drug Abuse to Hollywood Redemption

Tim Allen, a successful comedian in Hollywood, faced early challenges with drug addiction, including a period of incarceration for cocaine possession. However, Allen turned his life around and chronicled his journey in his memoir, Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man.

In an interview with Closer magazine, Allen reflected on his experience: “It put me in a position of great humility, and I was able to make amends to friends and family and refocus my life on setting and achieving goals.”

5. Kate Moss

Kate Moss: From Supermodel Stardom to Public Scrutiny

In 2005, supermodel Kate Moss made headlines when photos surfaced in the UK’s Daily Mirror allegedly showing her using cocaine.

The incident prompted Moss to enter a drug rehabilitation program later that year, where she reportedly encouraged a friend to seek treatment as well.

Despite the controversy, British authorities did not pursue legal charges related to the cocaine photographs.

6. Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud’s Views on Cocaine and Its Influence on Psychology

Sigmund Freud, the renowned psychologist, initially viewed cocaine as a potential treatment for morphine addiction.

During his career, Freud extensively experimented with cocaine, and some scholars speculate that he developed significant aspects of his early psychological theories while under its influence. Importantly, during Freud’s time, cocaine was not yet illegal.

7. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie: Overcoming Past Drug Abuse

In 2011, actress Angelina Jolie bravely opened up about her previous struggles with drug abuse, which she had left behind years prior.

Reports surfaced from a man claiming to have been her former drug dealer, alleging that during her early twenties, Jolie purchased cocaine from him on a frequent basis. Despite these challenges, Jolie has since recovered from her substance abuse issues.

8. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr.: From Addiction to Hollywood Redemption

Actor Robert Downey Jr. has faced well-documented struggles with substance abuse throughout his career in Hollywood. Initially arrested for drug possession in 1987, he continued to encounter legal issues related to drugs throughout the mid-1990s.

Downey Jr. sought rehabilitation multiple times to overcome his cocaine addiction, but it wasn’t until around 2002 that he began to make significant progress.

Since then, he has successfully revitalized his career with starring roles in numerous blockbuster films, demonstrating a remarkable comeback in the industry.

9. Steven Tyler

Steven Tyler’s Candid Confession on Cocaine Use. Steven Tyler, the iconic lead singer of Aerosmith, candidly admitted to spending millions on cocaine throughout his career. In a 2013 interview, he humorously remarked that he had “snorted half of Peru.”

On a serious note, during an appearance on the TV show Ellen in 2012, Tyler cautioned against cocaine use, stating, “It’s what we did, but you know there is no end to that. It’s death, jail, or insanity for real reals.”

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10. Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore: Overcoming Early Substance Abuse. Drew Barrymore’s battle with substance abuse began at a remarkably young age, reportedly starting cocaine use at just thirteen years old.

Thankfully, Barrymore sought rehabilitation during her teenage years and has maintained sobriety since then. She stands as a rare example of a child star who successfully transitioned to a thriving career as an adult.

11. Corey Haim

Corey Haim’s Tragic Struggle with Substance Abuse. Corey Haim, a prominent child star of the 1980s known for films like Lost Boys and Busted, tragically passed away at the age of 38 in 2010 due to a cocaine overdose.

In a candid interview with The Sun in 1994, Haim detailed his descent into substance abuse: “A year before that, I was starting to drink beer on the set of Lucas. I lived in Los Angeles in the ’80s, which was not the best place to be. I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack. I started on the downers which were a hell of a lot better than the uppers because I was a nervous wreck. But one led to two, two led to four, four led to eight, until at the end it was about 85 a day—the doctors could not believe I was taking that much. And that was just the Valium—I’m not talking about the other pills I went through.”

12. Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Edison’s Use of Cocaine in Patent Medicines. Inventor Thomas Edison was among many individuals who consumed legal cocaine-infused patent medicines during the late 1800s. Edison specifically credited Vin Mariani, a wine mixed with cocaine, for aiding his ability to work long hours.

Reportedly, Edison maintained a rigorous schedule, sleeping only four hours a night, which he attributed to the stimulant effects of Vin Mariani.

13. Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Reliance on Cocaine for Writing. Writer Robert Louis Stevenson, renowned for works like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, reportedly used cocaine, which was legal during his time, to aid his writing process.

Struggling with chronic tuberculosis, Stevenson turned to the stimulant effects of cocaine to support his literary efforts.

14. Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson gained fame for his novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and was known for his frequent cocaine use.

It was reported in the 1994 biography HUNTER: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson that Thompson incorporated cocaine into his daily routine, even having it alongside sausage and eggs for breakfast.

Thompson’s drug use extended beyond cocaine to include LSD, marijuana, and alcohol, reportedly using cocaine up to eleven times a day.

15. Stephen King

Stephen King, acclaimed author of novels like The Green Mile and Hearts in Atlantis, faced a significant struggle with cocaine addiction early in his career. With the support of his wife, King successfully overcame his addiction in the late 1980s.

Reflecting on his past, King admitted in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, “Yeah, coke. I was a heavy user from 1978 until 1986, something like that.” Since his recovery, King has continued to produce celebrated works of fiction.

 

Disclaimer: The information provided on this page is for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered endorsement for drug use.