Lovato pans Hollywood portrayal of drug use

Actor-singer preaches against glamorising drug use in the wake Hoffman’s death.

Following the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman due to heroin overdose, actor-singer Demi Lovato took to Twitter to highlight that drug addiction should be considered as a “deadly and serious disease” and not be glamorised, reports the Daily Mail.

The star, who battled her own drug addiction to cocaine and for which she received treatment in rehab at the age of 18, said, “I wish more people would lose the stigma and treat addiction, as the deadly and serious DISEASE that it is.”

“Drugs are not something to glamorise in pop music or film to portray as harmless, recreational fun. It’s not cute, ‘cool’ or admirable,” added the 21 year old.

After admitting late last year that her own dependence on the illegal substance reached a point where she couldn’t do without it for even 30 minutes, and that she even turned to smuggling it onto airplanes, the star acknowledges that she could have ended up like Hoffman.

“It’s very rare when people can actually predict their addiction and even then, you never know when too much is going to take their life or take a bad batch of whatever it is their using.”

Emphasising that singers and actors have a responsibility towards their fans, Lovato said that it’s unfitting to see that many musicians today don’t think twice before singing about using drugs. In recent months, drugs like MDMA have been referred to by singers, such as Miley Cyrus and Rihanna.

“It’s time people start taking action on changing what they’re actually singing/rapping about these days because you never know if you could be glamorising a certain drug to a first time user or alcoholic who could possibly end up dead, ”she wrote.

“This stuff is not something to mess with. Why risk it? Addiction is a disease. Please spread the word, so we can take the taboo out of discussing this illness and raising awareness to people of all ages.”

The conscientious singer also expressed her condolences on Hoffman’s death. “RIP Philip Seymour Hoffman... an incredible artiste who lost his life to this horrible disease. May you rest peacefully and in complete serenity now that your pain is gone. God Bless,” she said.

Hear, hear Lovato. Hear, hear!

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2014.

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