Is Drug Usage A Celebrity Culture?

Over the years, most celebrities have been known for their wild drug usage which has had serious effects on their personal lives and career. Both locally and internationally, celebrities have succumbed to the usage of drugs for copious reasons.

Inter alia, the contemporary Ghanaian celebrity society is deserting various campaigns against drug usage and has entrenched the use of drugs like “weed”, heroin, cocaine, etc as a way of life, which is bringing most of their young career to abrupt end.

According to wikipedia and lifenlegacy.com, Kiki Gyan (a Ghanaian Celeb) is rated as one of the countless talented celebrities killed by drug-related complications. Kiki Gyan was a renowned keyboardist; a member of the Afro-rock group Osibisa Band during the 70’s and was once voted the 8th best keyboardist in the world, but his career was derailed by years of lingering drug use and was eventually found dead in a church bathroom.

Even though the above stated is emphatically known to almost all the Ghanaian celebrities, it is worthy to mention that, the rate at which some of these celebs are using drugs is very frightening.

Without contempt of personality, I can boldly say Okomfo Kwadee is a prototype of a Ghanaian celebrity whose career has been put on a halt if not an end by drugs. Kwadee emerged into the music scene with a unique style of rap and even dressing for his stage performance. Not only was his style unique, he was talented and within a short period of time, he was on top of his game.

It’s rather unfortunate and dishearten that Kwadee did not see drugs like “weed” as an enemy to his swift progress but a friend, which he “resulted to” in other to spice his stage performances and provide him with inspiration. Vividly, most Ghanaian celebrities (musicians) are living the same blemish life of Kwadee. Hmm!! When will our celebs learn from the mistakes of others?

Personally, I heard drugs like “weed” which is widely use among Ghanaian celebs especially musicians provides them with some sort of oomph when performing or inspires them to write more songs. This is relatively funny, how many sentences are even in these songs we listen to? If the few sentences they put up are as a result of “weed” derived inspiration, then I wonder how many “rolls of weed” the disciples and prophets who wrote the bible had to smoke. Ah aba!! Is it because weed is so cheap in Ghana or what?

Our Ghanaian celebrities need to apprehend the fact that drugs will not do them any good in their career or way of life. I do not think the use of drugs have any positive impact on the life of any person, even if there is, I believe the positive impact is highly infinitesimal. Internationally acclaimed Celebrities like Heath Ledger, Marilyn Monroe, Pimp C, Jimi Hendrix, etc did not live long to enjoy their success.

Their careers we shaken by drug usage and all their rehabilitation centres could not even save them. Do we even have rehabilitation centres in Ghana? I guess the answer is a big No. It is therefore very perplexing to see or hear that our celebs are living drug correlated lives in a society with no rehabilitation centres at all.

Ah!! The question still remains unanswered, Is Drug Usage A Celebrity culture? I know it is not hence if our Ghanaian celebrities love the fame and success they are enjoying, then, they should SAY NO TO DRUGS.