The recent tragic death of Corey Haim at only 38 years old has many Hollywood insiders and doctors worried about the number of stars that regularly abuse prescription medication. The following are celebrities who have died from prescription drug abuse.
Marilyn Monroe
She was a famous actress, model and American sex symbol. At the age of 36, Marilyn died in her sleep of barbituate poisoning (overdose of sleeping pills).
Elvis Presley
Elvis was the King of Rock n Roll, but suffered from multiple addictions to prescription medications. He died of a massive overdose in 1977.
Dorothy Dandridge
She was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She died at the age of 42 from an accidental overdose of Tofranil (antidepressant).
Jimi Hendrix
He was an influential guitarist, who was found dead due to barbituate intoxication. He ws believed to be on secobarbital (sleeping pill).
Anna Nicole Smith
She was an actress and model, most known for one of her marriages to J. Howard, who was a billionaire oil executive 63 years older than Smith. She died of an accidental overdose of chloral hydrate (sleeping pills) and other prescription drugs.
Steve Clark
Def Leppard guitarist Clark was found dead due to respiration failure, which resulted from excessive anti-depressants and painkillers and alcohol.
Margaux Hemingway
Model and actress was found dead from an overdose of phenobarbital (anti-seizure sedative).
Dana Plato
Different Strokes actress who died from an accidental overdose of two prescription drugs Soma (muscle relaxant) and Vicodin (painkiller).
Heath Ledger
Six prescription drugs were found in his system: oxycodone and hydrocodone (painkillers), temazepam (sleep aid), valium and xanax and doxylamine (sedatives).
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