Drugs and stars

 If one still needed proof that drugs destroy lives, one only need look at the life, and death of Whitney Houston. The multi Grammy awarded singer passed away at the young age of 48. Odds are in favor to those who think that her drug abuse had something to do with it, if not the actual cause of her untimely demise. What a waste. Houston had fame and fortune written all over her stars. Coming from a family of awesome performers, Whitney crossed over from gospel singing to the pop charts, and took it by storm! She became an icon of the Eighties and Nineties, with dance songs you just could not resist moving to! And who hasn’t tried to sing “I Will Always Love You”, a song only Whitney could nail on the head. American Idol hopefuls who choose this song soon realize that it has caused the end of their run and dreams. And who has not heard the song murdered in karaoke bars or sing-along gatherings? This is Whitney Houston’s legacy.

 Then came the drug use, and it was downhill all the way. Being married to Bobby Brown did not help at all in taking care of her career. Her infamous interviews while obviously stoned are now etched in TV history, much like those if Charlie Sheen, another druggie. Her voice was also affected. Her attempt at a comeback only highlighted the damage to her golden vocals. By then, she had lost everything. She threw away the talent that God gave her in exchange for drugs. I cannot fathom the logic in that. I just can’t.

 With all these famous people dropping like flies because of drug use, it really is a wonder why people still get into it. What is more puzzling is that those who are into drug use are either those without any problems or cares in this world, or those who just cannot even afford it in the first place! But if your goal in life is to become famous and then throw it all away, then I guess illegal drugs is for you.

 The problem is, drug abuse is never a problem of the user alone. If that were the case, then they could just be herded into one den and let the abuse run its course. The greater damage is done to the family of the user, and in this Whitney Houston’s case, her fans as well. If only people could learn from the tragic mistake of others, especially the popular ones. But we do not live in a perfect world. If we did, there would be no drugs at all.

At least we still have the songs.