list of deaths from drug overdose and intoxication list of deaths from drug overdose and intoxication drug overdose and intoxication are significant causes of accidental death and can also be used as a form of suicide. death can occur from overdosing on a single or multiple drugs, or from combined drug intoxication (cdi) due to poly drug use. poly drug use often carries more risk than use of a single drug, due to an increase in side effects, and drug synergy. for example, the chance of death from overdosing on opiates is greatly increased when they are consumed in conjunction with alcohol. while they are two distinct phenomena, deaths from cdi are often misreported as overdoses. drug overdoses and intoxication can also cause indirect deaths. for example, while marijuana does not cause fatal overdoses, being intoxicated by it can increase the chance of fatal traffic collisions. this is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. notable deaths from acute drug use include mac miller, heath ledger, prince, philip seymour hoffman, dolores o'riordan, and michael jackson. drug use and overdoses increased significantly in the 1800s due to the commercialization and availability of certain drugs. for example, while opium and coca had been used for centuries, their active ingredients, morphine and the cocaine alkaloid, were not isolated until 1803 and 1855 respectively. cocaine and various opiates were subsequently mass-produced and sold openly and legally in the western world, resulting in widespread misuse and addiction. drug use and addiction also increased significantly following the invention of the hypodermic syringe in 1853, with overdose being a leading cause of death among intravenous drug users. efforts to prohibit various drugs began to be enacted in the early 20th century, though the effectiveness of such policies is debated. deaths from drug overdoses are increasing. between 2000 and 2014, fatal overdoses rose 137% in the united states, causing nearly half a million deaths in that period, and have also been continually increasing in australia, scotland, england, and wales. while prohibited drugs are generally viewed as being the most dangerous, the misuse of prescription drugs is linked to more deaths in several countries. cocaine and heroin combined caused fewer deaths than prescriptions drugs in the united kingdom in 2013, and fewer deaths than prescription opiates alone in the united states in 2008. as of 2015, the drug most likely to cause fatal overdose in australia was diazepam (valium). while fatal overdoses are highly associated with drugs such as opiates, cocaine and alcohol, deaths from other drugs such as caffeine are extremely rare. this alphabetical list contains 625 notable people whose deaths can be reliably sourced to be the result of drug overdose or acute drug intoxication. where sources indicate drug overdose or intoxication was only suspected to be the cause of death, this will be specified in the 'notes' column. where sources are able to indicate, deaths are specified as 'suicide', 'accidental', 'undetermined', or otherwise in the 'cause' column. where sources do not explicitly state intent, they will be listed in this column as 'unknown'. deaths from accidents or misadventure caused by drug overdoses or intoxication are also included on this list. deaths from long-term effects of drugs, such as tobacco-related cancers and cirrhosis from alcohol, are not included, nor are deaths from lethal injection or legal euthanasia. deaths name born died age profession drug(s) manner notes ref. louis abolafia 1941 1995 54 artist unspecified unknown herb abrams 1955 1996 41 wrestling promoter cocaine accidental drug-induced heart attack janet achurch 1864 1916 52 actress morphine unknown trent acid 1980 2010 29 wrestler unspecified unknown arthur adamov 1908 1970 61 playwright barbiturates accidental brian adams 1963 2007 43 wrestler unspecified painkillers accidental nick adams 1931 1968 36 actor paraldehyde and promazine unknown ai xia 1912 1934 21 actress opium suicide ryūnosuke akutagawa 1892 1927 35 writer barbital suicide michael alig 1966 2020 54 club promoter heroin accidental lexii alijai 1998 2020 21 rapper fentanyl and ethanol unknown howard alk 1930 1982 51 filmmaker heroin accidental officially accidental though speculated suicide a. a. allen 1911 1970 59 evangelist alcohol unknown chet allen 1939 1984 45 child actor antidepressants suicide william barnsley allen 1892 1933 41 army officer unspecified narcotic accidental gg allin 1956 1993 36 musician heroin unknown frances alsop 1782 1821 38 actress laudanum accidental abraham ángel 1905 1924 19 artist cocaine accidental pier angeli 1932 1971 39 actress barbiturates accidental bridgette andersen 1975 1997 21 child actress heroin unknown paul y. anderson 1893 1938 45 journalist sleeping pills unknown chris antley 1966 2000 34 jockey methamphetamines blunt trauma the coroner's report concluded that antley's injuries were likely related to a fall caused by the overdose jean améry 1912 1978 65 writer sleeping pills suicide diane arbus 1923 1971 48 photographer barbiturates suicide arbus also slit her wrists reinaldo arenas 1943 1990 47 poet unspecified suicide west arkeen 1960 1997 36 musician opiates accidental howard arkley 1951 1999 48 painter heroin accidental james lloyd ashbury 1834 1895 60–61 yachtsman chlorodyne suicide suspected overdose avery atkins 1987 2007 20 american football player mdma unknown kevyn aucoin 1962 2002 40 photographer, make-up artist unspecified painkillers accidental aucoin's addiction to painkillers, which were prescribed, caused kidney and liver failure due to paracetamol toxicity kathy augustine 1956 2006 50 politician succinylcholine murder chet baker 1929 1988 58 musician cocaine and heroin accidental baker fell from a balcony while intoxicated tom baker 1940 1982 42 actor heroin unknown albert ballin 1857 1918 61 shipping magnate sleeping pills suicide lester bangs 1948 1982 33 music critic, musician multiple unknown dextropropoxyphene, diazepam and nyquil barbette 1899 1973 74 trapeze artist methamphetamines unknown r. h. barlow 1918 1951 32 author barbiturates suicide sid barnes 1916 1973 57 cricketer barbiturates and bromide undetermined jürgen bartsch 1946 1976 29 serial killer halothane accidental accidental overdose administered by nurse skye mccole bartusiak 1992 2014 21 actress multiple accidental hydrocodone, difluoroethane and carisoprodol jean-michel basquiat 1960 1988 27 painter heroin unknown pierre batcheff 1907 1932 24 actor barbital suicide michael carl baze 1987 2011 24 jockey cocaine and oxymorphone accidental patricia beck 1924 1978 53 writer insulin suicide scotty beckett 1929 1968 38 child actor barbiturates unknown steve bechler 1979 2003 23 baseball pitcher ephedra heatstroke the coroner stated the toxicity of ephedra played a significant role in his death art bell 1945 2018 72 radio host multiple accidental bell's death was a combination of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, and carisoprodol, complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and high blood pressure gertrude bell 1868 1926 57 writer sleeping pills unknown john belushi 1949 1982 33 actor speedball accidental walter benjamin 1892 1940 48 philosopher morphine suicide jay bennett 1963 2009 45 musician fentanyl accidental jill bennet 1931 1990 58 actress unspecified unknown wes berggren 1971 1999 28 musician multiple unknown benzodiazepines, cocaine and propoxyphene william lee bergstrom 1951 1985 33 gambler unspecified suicide bruce berry 1950 1973 22 roadie cocaine and heroin unknown don bessent 1931 1990 59 baseball pitcher alcohol unknown leah betts 1977 1995 18 student mdma water intoxication died from water intoxication secondary to use of mdma len bias 1963 1986 22 basketball player cocaine accidental big george 1957 2011 53 presenter, broadcaster mephedrone unknown drug-induced heart attack. big moe 1974 2007 33 musician unspecified unknown drug-induced heart attack bam bam bigelow 1961 2007 45 wrestler cocaine unknown other unspecified drugs were involved robert bingham 1966 1999 33 writer heroin unknown ted binion 1943 1998 54 gambling executive alprazolam and heroin suicide (suspected) laurie bird 1953 1979 26 actress diazepam suicide gottfried von bismarck 1962 2007 44 aristocrat cocaine and morphine unknown patrick bissell 1957 1987 30 ballet dancer multiple unknown cocaine, codeine, methadone and other unspecified drugs clara blandick 1876 1962 85 actress sleeping pills suicide drug-induced asphyxiation erica blasberg 1984 2010 25 golfer multiple suicide drug-induced asphyxiation caused by butalbital, temazepam, alprazolam, codeine, hydrocodone and tramadol mattie blaylock 1850 1888 37–38 prostitute opiates suicide mike bloomfield 1943 1981 37 musician unspecified unknown tommy bolin 1951 1976 25 musician unspecified unknown john bonham 1948 1980 32 musician alcohol unknown bonham choked on his own vomit while intoxicated stephan bonnar 1977 2022 45 mixed martial artist fentanyl accidental derek boogaard 1982 2011 28 ice hockey player oxycodone and alcohol accidental jennie bosschieter 1882 1900 18 factory worker chloral hydrate murder christopher bowman 1967 2008 40 ice skater multiple accidental cocaine, diazepam, alcohol and cannabis charles boyer 1899 1978 78 actor barbiturates suicide billy lee brammer 1929 1978 48 author methamphetamines unknown elisa bridges 1973 2002 28 model multiple unknown heroin, methamphetamines, meperidine and alprazolam diane brimble 1960 2002 42 mother gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and alcohol unknown william brinkley 1917 1993 76 writer barbiturates suicide dave brockie 1963 2014 50 musician heroin unknown branwell brontë 1817 1848 31 painter, writer opiates unknown died of drug-aggravated tuberculosis bobbi kristina brown 1993 2015 22 media personality multiple unknown drowned while intoxicated by marijuana, alcohol and an unspecified anti-anxiety medication lenny bruce 1925 1966 40 comedian morphine accidental patrick henry bruce 1881 1936 55 painter barbital suicide julia bruns 1895 1927 32 actress alcohol accidental tim buckley 1947 1975 28 musician multiple unknown heroin, morphine and alcohol paul butterfield 1942 1987 44 musician unspecified unknown drug-induced heart failure andrés caicedo 1951 1977 25 writer secobarbital suicide ken caminiti 1963 2004 41 baseball player cocaine and opiates accidental max cantor 1959 1991 32 actor, journalist heroin unknown truman capote 1924 1984 59 writer multiple unknown cause of death was liver disease complicated by phlebitis and multiple drug intoxication billie carleton 1896 1918 22 actress cocaine accidental suspected overdose edward john carnell 1919 1967 47 pastor barbiturates unknown suspected overdose aaron carter 1987 2022 34 singer difluoroethane and alprazolam accidental carter drowned in the bath after inhaling the drugs leslie carter 1986 2012 25 singer multiple unknown olanzapine, cyclobenzaprine and alprazolam greg centauro 1977 2011 34 pornographic actor unspecified unknown spencer charters 1875 1943 67 actor sleeping pills suicide richard chase 1950 1980 30 serial killer unspecified unknown vic chesnutt 1964 2009 45 musician unspecified muscle relaxant suicide tai chi-tao 1891 1949 58 journalist sleeping pills suicide (suspected) diana churchill 1909 1963 54 naval officer barbiturates suicide sally clark 1964 2007 42 solicitor alcohol unknown sonny clark 1931 1963 31 pianist heroin unknown steve clark 1960 1991 30 musician multiple accidental codeine, diazepam, morphine and alcohol charmian clift 1923 1969 45 writer unspecified suicide bob collins 1946 2007 61 politician unspecified prescription drugs and alcohol suicide natasha collins 1976 2008 31 actress cocaine accidental brian cole 1942 1972 29 musician heroin unknown roberta collins 1944 2008 63 actress unspecified drugs and alcohol accidental coolio 1963 2022 59 rapper multiple accidental fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine elizabeth cooper 1914 1960 46 actress barbiturates suicide michael cooper 1941 1973 31 photographer heroin unknown megan connolly 1974 2001 27 actress heroin unknown sean costello 1979 2008 28 musician multiple unknown heroin, chlordiazepoxide, ephedrine and amphetamine pamela courson 1946 1974 27 boutique manager heroin unknown carl crack 1971 2001 30 musician unspecified pills and alcohol unknown ed crane 1862 1896 34 baseball player chloral hydrate suicide (suspected) darby crash 1958 1980 22 musician heroin suicide nicholas c. creede 1843 1897 53–54 prospector morphine accidental tim crews 1961 1993 31 baseball pitcher alcohol accidental crews was legally drunk when he crashed a boat, killing himself and steve olin stephen crohn 1946 2013 66 chef benzodiazepine and oxycodone suicide david croudip 1958 1988 30 american football player cocaine unknown robbin crosby 1959 2002 42 musician heroin unknown isaac cruikshank 1764 1811 46–47 painter alcohol unknown bartley crum 1900 1959 59 lawyer secobarbital and alcohol suicide will cuppy 1884 1949 65 literary critic sleeping pills suicide jackie curtis 1947 1985 38 actor heroin unknown patricia cutts 1926 1974 48 actress barbiturates suicide chyna 1969 2016 46 wrestler multiple accidental oxymorphone, oxycodone, temazepam, diazepam, and alcohol lin dai 1934 1964 29 actress sleeping pills unknown jacques d'adelswärd-fersen 1880 1923 43 writer cocaine and alcohol unknown dalida 1933 1987 54 singer barbiturates suicide jacques damala 1855 1889 34 actor cocaine and morphine unknown dorothy dandridge 1922 1965 42 actress, singer imipramine accidental mike darr 1976 2002 25 baseball player alcohol accidental motor-vehicle collision while intoxicated jesse ed