Celebrity Drug Deaths 2022
Most of us are well-aware of the lifestyles of the rich and famous and they glamorize drugs and alcohol. Yet, even people with wealth and access to the best medical care in the world suffer because of drug and alcohol abuse. While the numbers are unknown, celebrities struggle with drug addiction, mental health problems, and physical health problems as a result of substance abuse.
And, every year, with 99,017 people dying of alcohol-related causes, and in 2022, nearly 110,000 people died of drug-related causes including overdose. Celebrities are not immune, and in 2022, 5 well-known celebrities died as a result of drug abuse.
These tragedies are a stark reminder that even people with access to the safest drugs and the best medical care suffer as a result of drug abuse. And, if you or a loved one is using, it’s important to get help when you can and before it’s too late.
Celebrity Drug Deaths in 2022
In 2022, five well-known celebrities died of drug-related causes, most of which were fentanyl related. However, this list only includes individuals whose autopsy reports were publicized. This means there may be additional drug deaths which are not listed here – but their families have chosen to opt for privacy. There were also 5 celebrity deaths in 2021, 5 in 2020, and 3 in 2019.
Taylor Hawkins
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Foo Fighter’s Drummer Taylor Hawkins was announced dead on March 25th of 2022. An ambulance was called at his hotel after he complained of chest pains, but by the time emergency services arrived, Hawkins was unresponsive.
The toxicology report later revealed that Hawkins had taken a large number of prescription medications as well as THC. These included opioid pain pills, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants. His heart was also twice the expected size, following what doctors expressed as prolonged substance abuse. It is unknown if Hawkins had a prescription for his medications or not.
Hawkins died at the age of 50, leaving behind his wife and three children. His death rocked the music and entertainment industry, resulting in an outpouring of love, with memorials and tribute concerts in his honor.
Dwayne Haskins
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Dwayne Haskins, NFL Quarterback, died on April 9 of 2022, pronounced dead after being hit by a car while crossing a road under the influence. Haskins was driving to training in a rented vehicle when he ran out of gas. He stopped by the side of the road, called his wife, and then crossed the interstate where he was struck by a dump truck and died. His blood alcohol level at the time was .24 and he tested positive for ketamine. Haskins did not die as a direct result of drug use and drugs may not have contributed to his death. However, Haskins tragic death was under the influence and his crossing the interstate may have been influenced by ketamine usage. Jamal Edwards
Jamal Edwards, DJ and television platform owner, died in February of 2022 after a heart arrythmia. His sudden death was first reported as a heart attack – but toxicology reports later found that he had ingested significant quantities of cocaine prior to the arrythmia. His tragic death occurred in the middle of a project to reopen youth centers in London, using his platform of SB.TV and funding from Google to help kids turn to music and performance instead of drugs. Get Your Questions Answered
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Coolio
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Artis Leon Ivey Jr., artistically known as Coolio, died on September 28 of 2022, following an overdose on fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. The artist was found in a friend’s home in Los Angeles, on the bathroom door and was pronounced dead by the first responders. An investigation was opened, later showing the cause of death to be an overdose. The artist is most well-known for his single “Gangsta’s Paradise” but was in the middle of recording a new album at the time of his death. Aaron Carter
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Aaron Carter, singer and teen-pop star, died in November of 2022 following an overdose and accidental drowning in his tub in Lancaster California. The 34-year-old was found by his housekeeper in the tub. It was later found that the singer had passed out after inhaling difluoroethane, an inhalant drug used for aerosols, and taking alprazolam, which he may have had a prescription for. His death was ruled as accidental – as he liked passed out because of the difluoroethane. Stephan Bonnar
American mixed martial artist Stephan Bonnar is most well-known for his UFC fights and wrestling. The wrestler died on December 22 of 2022. It was initially reported that he had died of a heart attack. However, the toxicology report showed that the 45-year-old had died of a fentanyl overdose. This followed multiple run-ins with the law including several DUIs. He left behind his wife and son.
Getting Help
Anyone can be vulnerable to drug addiction. It doesn’t matter how well your life is going, drugs are addictive and can cause you to lose control when using them. That puts you at risk of mental health problems, physical health problems, and overdose. Like the celebrities on this list, you are always at risk of overdose and death when using drugs. Even “Safer” drugs like cocaine and ketamine can result in heart attacks, decision-making that leads to death, and organ damage that can cause significant long-term reductions to quality of life. And, with street drugs including pain pills and Xanax now containing traces of fentanyl, risks of overdose are higher than ever.
If you or someone you know is using drugs or alcohol, you are at risk of overdose. People often use to feel better, self-medicate, and to fit in. No matter what you’re using for, you can still lose control and you are still at risk. If you need help, it is there, and modern rehab and substance use disorder treatment works to help you uncover the underlying causes behind substance abuse so you can improve quality of life, improve how you cope with things, and work to build skills and strategies to make your life better. The goal of recovery is not to get your old life back but to build a new one where you don’t need drugs.
If you or your loved-one struggles from alcoholism or other substance abuse please contact us today and speak with one of our experienced and professional intake advisors about our detox, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment programs. 10 Acre Ranch also has specialty tracks like our pet friendly drug rehab and couples substance abuse treatment programs. We’re here to help you recover.