A lesson from the tragic stars: drugs don't work

The deaths of singers Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse are indeed tragic. It has been devastating to see ladies with such exceptional talents succumb to the demons of alcohol and drug abuse, which eventually took their lives.

Without speculating on the exact causes of how they died, it is enough to say that their premature passing should send a warning message to their fans that drugs are bad. Drug or alcohol abuse destroyed their lives. It also affected their ability to showcase their talents to the fullest. 

When Houston performed in Thailand during her 2004 world tour, her fans here could not help but notice that her voice had gone ragged. She admitted later that she had taken drugs for years.

Fans of Amy Winehouse were also shocked to learn of her premature death last year. Winehouse, only 27, was considered to be in the prime of her career. The British artist nonetheless was known to have been a heavy user of alcohol and drugs for some time.

These ladies were blessed with a divine talent. Unfortunately, they ruined their careers and lives through drug abuse.

Sek Loso, one of Thailand’s biggest rock stars, is meanwhile trying to recover from drug addiction, which has forced his music label to terminate its contact with him. 

Sek Loso’s career went downhill after a photograph of him snorting a white substance was released to the public. He is now trying to rebuild his life and career, after admitting himself for rehabilitation treatment last year. The young rocker is not fully recovered yet.

The similar fates of these bright stars should serve as a cautionary tale for their fans, some of whom are still trying to make sense of the loss of their icons. 

These entertainers did not necessarily have to pass away too soon. But drug use can lead to destructive behaviour. Sek Loso’s career could have been even bigger and brighter, but he has admitted that drug abuse affected his health. He has also suffered bouts of hallucinations because of the effects of drug. Now he has done the sensible thing and taken a pause in his career to undergo treatment. 

The lesson from these tragic events is that drug abuse can only end in pain. Period.

Thailand, like many other countries, has seen a widespread increase in drug use over the past few years, with all kinds of substances available on the market, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, marijuana and ecstacy pills. The increase in substance abuse and the drugs trade is not only attributable to a lack of law enforcement; it is also due to more liberal attitudes and greater tolerance of the behaviour of people using drugs or engaging in illegal activities.

The tragedy of celebrities who are involved in drugs should serve as another lesson for their fans and dispel the belief that drug use can always promote creativity. The final days of Winehouse and Houston shows how drug abuse destroyed their musical talent. In addition, it shows how easy it is to start with drugs but how difficult it is to recover.

Sek Loso, meanwhile, is also reportedly taking part in the government’s anti-drugs campaign. The Justice Ministry hopes that his superstar status will act as a visible warning to youngsters not to get involved in drugs.

Let’s hope that Sek Loso can fully recover to be an inspiration for others who are still struggling with drug addiction and that he can re-enter society as a proud, sober man and artist.

Houston and Winehouse did realise the negative effects of drug abuse. They were also reportedly trying to recover. Houston had even planned to stage a comeback to the music scene. But that realisation unfortunately came just too late.