In 1982, Argov toured the United States, and was invited to parties and clubs. It was there that he was first exposed to hard drugs and began to develop his heroin and crack cocaine addiction. He claimed that he was first introduced to hard drugs at Club Halleluyah in Los Angeles. He developed an addiction to crack cocaine and heroin, which from 1983 began to affect his functioning. By the end of the year, his drug abuse coupled with his demanding performance schedule was beginning to visibly affect his health. In late 1983, three associates took him to Eilat and locked him in a hotel room to dry out. However, this was unsuccessful.