Seven Famous Heroin Users
Heroin got its name from the German term for heroic, as those who tried it out it in its early days reported feeling valiant and heroic after ingesting or being injected with it. Heroin is an opium-based drug derived from the drug morphine. In its early years, this drug was marketed as the antidote to morphine addiction and was even lobbied by a pharmaceutical company to be distributed freely through mail to all morphine addicts. But after a few years of medical use, this substance proved to be an aggressive drug, as addicting as morphine. Finally, in the early 1900s, heroin was listed as a narcotic substance and was subsequently banned from being produced, distributed, and used in the United States.(1) With it, drug and alcohol rehab programs came to the rescue of heroin users.
Heroin, in smaller doses and in slightly different forms, may also be used for medicinal purposes. Marketed under the name of diamorphine, this drug is used to provide pain relief when administered through IV or subcutaneous ways.(2) Despite its medical use, heroin, when taken in large doses and used when not needed, could not only be addicting but could also result in eventual death because of overdose. Some heroin users also show change in behavior that often lead to conflicts with their relationships. Fortunately, there are drug and alcohol rehab centers to help patients cope with withdrawal symptoms for them to be able to kick the bad habit and stay clean. The program comes in many different forms but normally includes detoxification, counseling, and group therapy. One of the main objectives is to address the underlying cause and help build broken relationships. Options include undergoing in-patient or out-patient treatment.(3)
Heroin-inspired creativity
Though heroin has detrimental effects to the body and to the mind, it cannot be denied that more than just a handful of the greatest personalities in popular culture were users of this illegal drug. Some of the greatest works of literature, music, and art have been purported to have been made while in the throes of the drug and even after a person has quit using heroin for good with the help of rehabilitation.(4)
And though there are people who are too far gone into physical and mental decline due to drug abuse, there are those who recover and still contribute significantly to humanity. Here are just a few of the famous personalities of our time who have gotten over their “bad” habits and started living again.
Robert Downey Jr. (actor)
In between his stints as America’s boy next door and comeback king of the moment, Robert Downey Jr. was a heroin user. He did time in prison for a number of charges and went out of the limelight for a few years. In recent years, however, he rebounded and once again graced the silverscreen with the hit movie “Iron Man” followed by his controversial and comedic take on an Australian actor playing an African-American soldier in the movie “Tropic Thunder.” Yep, after heroin and all the other shenanigans, Robert Downey Jr. is definitely back.(5)
David Bowie (musician)
All those psychedelic explorations and unique sounds in his music could come from the real semi-lucid states when Bowie was under the influence of heroin. Though heroin has been noted as a drug that can cause impairment and eventual death, it helped produce some of the finest and most creative musical pieces. David Bowie then went on to have a very colorful career not only in music, but also in acting on movies and on stage.(6)
James Taylor (singer, songwriter)
Who would have thought that the romantic and love-themed crooning of singer/songwriter James Taylor were influenced by this drug. Apparently, James Taylor was a habitual user even before he hit big time. His substance abuse continued even during his peak years. Though he found and lost professional contacts due to his erratic behavior when under the influence, it cannot be denied that he was a prolific songwriter who produced tunes that are well-loved even today.(7)
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (lawyer, politician)
The Kennedys were a force to reckon with in the 1960s. Unfortunately, political struggles and the so-called Camelot curse put an end to their ideals. The next Kennedys in line still held the spotlight, but for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., it was a different kind of publicity after he was caught with heroin in his bag while on a flight to Dakota in 1983. The heroin user then turned his life around and now runs his own law firm. Rober Kennedy, Jr. doesn’t seem to display the same ardent interests in politics as the earlier generations of this distinguished family did, but he is a staunch activist working to preserve and improve the environment.(8)
Irvine Welsh (author of Trainspotting)
The memorable ‘rite of passage’ movie “Trainspotting” moved audiences around the world with its shocking but poignant portrayal of the lives of a group of junkies in Scotland. The movie was based on an equally spectacular novel written by Irvine Welsh, a writer who rose to the ranks as one the most highly creative novelists we have today. Though Welsh admitted to only doing heroin for 18 months, he clearly had the will to get up and leave the experience behind, eventually penning novels that saw worldwide acclaim.(9) Trainspotting wasn’t just fiction spun out of the blue but had elements that Irvine Welsh may have experienced during his days as a heroin user. After a string of successful novels turned blockbusters, Welsh has sponsored charities in his native country, Scotland.
Jim Carroll (author of The Basketball Diaries)
One of the movies that propelled actor Leonardo Di Caprio to stardom is “The Basketball Diaries.” The movie is based on the biographical novel written by writer slash punk musician Jim Carroll. Jim Carroll published some of the accounts of his teenage years in New York where his early life revolved around basketball, gangs, and drugs.(10)
William Burroughs (author of Junkie and The Naked Lunch)
William Burroughs was one of the most resounding voices of the Beat generation. In his first novel entitled “Junkie,” he offered details of his life as a heroin dealer in Greenwich Village. The lifestyle of heroin addicts was aptly described in the novel, shedding light to the seedy side of then puritanical America. His other novel, the “Naked Lunch,” which was made into a movie, also tackled addiction to heroin and other controlled substances.(11) Though Burroughs received acclaim through his writings and other works, heroin eventually caught up with him. Still, Burroughs was able to live out his life till he turned 83.(12)
These are just some of the personalities who have been users of heroin. While it may be argued that some of them produced their finest work while in the influence of the drug, it’s apparent that the effects of heroin come at a price on both the mind and the body. However, one gets to thinking that there have been countless musicians, novelists, actors, and other personalities who have come up with their masterpieces without even using the drug.
Sources:
(1) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin
(3) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-drug-rehab.htm
(4) http://www.rehabtoday.com/articles/heroin-use-in-popular-culture.html
(5) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/movies/20carr.html?_r=2&ref=movies&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
(6) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000309/bio
(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Taylor
(8) http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/18/48hours/main607225.shtml
(9) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/4321934/Irvine-Welsh-from-heroin-to-green-tea.html
(10) http://www.artandpopularculture.com/The_Basketball_Diaries
(11) http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123221/bio
(12) http://www.opioids.com/heroin/william-s-burroughs.html