Old News

Steven Tyler has admitted that he has a prescription drug abuse problem –painkillers-and he is going to drug treatment.  As this article mentions, more and more of our celebrities are finding their way into treatment for drug abuse and unfortunately, some never made it before they died.

The list of celebrity drug addicts has grown in recent years and the story is getting old.  It seems that it would be more unique of a story to describe the life of a celebrity who never did cocaine, methamphetamines or prescription drugs.

“Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler has finally admitted he has a drug problem. Given the rock star’s legendary excesses of the past, such a move might not seem surprising. But there was more to Tyler’s decision last week to check himself into addiction treatment than first meets the eye.

The 61-year-old singer had long ago cleaned up his act and put his years of heavy drink and drug abuse behind him. His current problem is very different. He is addicted to painkillers, he announced in a statement – a dependence that began after taking medication to cope with 10 years of injuries from his performances.

Tyler’s stage antics have left him with severe chronic pain and damage to his knees and feet. During a show this year he fell off a stage and broke a shoulder. Now he is addicted to the medicines he has used to kill the pain.

But the revelation of Tyler’s problem is significant not just for its importance for Aerosmith fans. His is merely the most recent example of a growing US showbiz trend that has seen more and more stars admit prescription drug addiction, while cases of dependence leading to fatal overdoses have soared. Among the deaths linked to prescription drugs are those of Heath Ledger, Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson, a toll that was added to last week with the death of Brittany Murphy, star of 8 Mile and Clueless. The 32-year-old Hollywood actress was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home last Sunday.”