Medication abuse in celebraties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Medication abuse in celebraties - Essay Example Medication Abuse in Celebrities Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson all have something in common: fame, success, popularity and death through medication abuse. Celebrities are idolized and placed in pedestals by adoring fans. Like normal individuals, celebrities, despite their fame, resources, and connections, are subject to the same health risks that abound in any particular time frame. Sad to say, there are factors unique and distinct to celebrities that make them predisposed to greater susceptibility to abuse medications that initially aim to address trivial health concerns. Drugs and medications are supposed to be prescribed, administered and taken in dosages that are deemed safe and sufficient to address illnesses that have been diagnosed for particular patients. However, drug overdose has been intermittently published, reported and continue to pervade contemporary times. The cases for celebrities are just magnified due to their popular s tature and global awareness. The aim of the current informative discourse is to proffer pertinent issues relative to medication abuse in celebrities, particularly focusing on the case of Michael Jackson. ... Overview of Medication Abuse The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen to streamline and qualify the definition of abuse to mean â€Å"persistent or sporadic excessive drug use inconsistent with or unrelated to acceptable medical practice† (World Health Organization, 2012, par. 1). The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) is the organization tasked with monitoring, governing and administering laws and regulations relative to medications that have proven to be susceptible to abuse (National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), n.d.). Accordingly, â€Å"in 2010, approximately 16 million Americans are reported using a prescription drug for nonmedical reasons in the past year; 7 million in the past month† (NIDA: Commonly Abused Prescription Drugs, 2012, par. 3). In a featured publication of NIDA entitled â€Å"Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction†, it was explicitly indicated that â€Å"risk of drug abuse increases greatly during times of transit ion, such as changing schools, moving, or divorce† (par. 2). These activities are normally encountered by people from all walks of life. For celebrities, these factors contribute to their preponderence for taking medications, in conjunction with other intricate and distinct factors as to be discussed below. Factors Contributory to Medication Abuse in Celebrities In an article written by Puente (2012), it was indicated that celebrities are no different in terms of their susceptibilities to medication abuse. The author cited Kevin Hill, reportedly an addictions psychiatrist who was noted to be governing the drug abuse treatment at Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital