Drug, cigarette and alcohol addiction – The price some celebrities had to pay

While it is hard for some artistes, actors and celebrated personalities in Ghana to open up about their years of addiction to hard drugs, alcohol, marijuana or cigarette, it is good to note that many of our superstars have had to deal with such secret battles that have caused some their careers.

How far can one go to pay the price that comes with fame or attaining a celebrity status and does this new status make one prone to drugs?

There are several stories of drug addiction costing and ruining the careers of personalities with great potential and promising futures. While one would wonder why superstars shy away from seeking help until the late stages, it is good to note that nobody feels safe being stigmatized or called an addict by blogs and fans.

In Ghana, there have been stories of celebrities who are chain-smokers, addicted to smoking marijuana or even the use of cocaine but these claims have been contradicted by the accused during interviews. It is imperative to note that some celebrities have confessed they did drugs.

Celebrated singers Lord Kenya, Kiki Gyan and actor Timothy Bentum have all spoken about how drugs affected them but in the case of Kiki, a former member of the Osibisa Band, he lost his life to drug abuse at the age of 47 on June 10, 2004.

Actor cum preacher, Timothy Bentum, in October 2017 disclosed that he dealt with drug addiction for seventeen (17) years.

“Twelve years of cocaine addiction, five years of wee addiction, in all seventeen years of addictions to the devil. If you find out how much we have done for Satan, you will understand our passion to do this for God. We have spent many years doing things for the devil and this is the time we think we can marshal for Christ,” Timothy disclosed at a media engagement.

Also in the case of Lord Kenya, he admitted to having dealt with marijuana addiction and confessed to introducing rapper Kwadee to its use reason why he offered him to the singer after getting hooked on it and costing him his career.

“Okomfo Kwadee was introduced to me in Kumasi by his producer and I introduced him to the use of these drugs. I felt helping him was my responsibility because I played a role in his current state,” said Kenya who is clean from marijuana use.

Kenya in another interview said drugs destroyed him. He told Hitz FM: “Another problem that ruined my fame as a known artiste was bad friends’ influence and drugs. When I went into drugs, there were some things I might have done that I wasn’t aware of.”

The greatest accomplishment comes when a celebrity with great influence and respect from society seeks help by checking in at rehab, or hospital and finally getting clean.

The likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Elton John, Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck and Demi Lovato are among the few who have shared stories of their addiction, and recovery process to encourage others about the help available for addiction on every level.

Demi Lovato, the ‘Confident’ hitmaker in an interview on her recovery process opened up about the use of cocaine at the young age of 17 when she starred on family-friendly TV.

Many have wondered why celebrities who are considered to have everything in life, at the peak of their career, get hooked on hard drugs or substances that deteriorate their health, robbing them of a happy ending.

There are singers who always get high before jumping on stage to perform. It can become a routine and difficult to battle if not controlled but who do you blame? These famous people, some have argued, have money to access the best grade of such substances as well as friends to introduce them to drugs. Some have asserted that there is a link between loneliness and substance abuse.

While lifestyles and settings promote alcoholism and drug use, there is treatment available for addicts thus alcohol detox or counselling, rehab or the use of prescribed medication.