The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims more than 90 Americans die per day after overdosing on opioids. However, the only time the masses are reminded of the ongoing crisis is when we see celebrities who have died from opiates on headlines. You can see the impact of opiates by the number of high-profile figures we’ve lost to them in recent years. Here are just a few of the cherished celebrities we’ve lost in the last five years from opiates.
Tom Petty
One of the most recent lives lost to opiates was Tom Petty. He was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actor and more. He fought for artistic control and freedom, threatening to withhold his album when his record label attempted to hike the price of his upcoming album in 1981.
His family confirmed that his death in early October was due to accidentally overdosing on several drugs which included opioids.
According to a post by Petty’s family on his official website, “Tom’s body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip.”
On the day of his death, his hip had fully broken. The unbearable pain was the reason for his overuse of medications like fentanyl patches which caused his death.
