Narconon News

The name of Thomas Kinkade, world renowned painter, has been added to the list of those who have lost everything to substance abuse.

On April 7th, news media around the world reported on the death of Thomas Kinkade, the painter who created peaceful scenes with cottages, rivers, landscapes and religious figures. At first, his death at age 54 was reported as being from natural causes. But the coroner’s report in early May 2012 showed that it was actually caused accidentally by “acute intoxication” from alcohol and Valium. The painter had struggled with alcoholism for several years. (1)

This event provides even more proof that abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs and illicit drugs can be deadly at any time. Families who have a loved one who is abusing or addicted to these drugs know this in their hearts – as they live every day in fear of receiving a phone call that tells them of an overdose.

But according to the Associated Press, while these drugs were the only ones involved in Mr. Kinkade’s death, he also had traces of other anti-anxiety drugs and the club drug GHB in his system when he died. GHB, a central nervous system depressant, is dangerous in combination with alcohol, where it can “result in nausea, loss of muscle control and difficulty breathing… and may also produce withdrawal effects, including insomnia, anxiety, tremors, and sweating,” according to The Partnership for a Drug-Free America. “As the dose increases,’ their site says, “the sedative effects may result in sleep and eventual coma or death.” (2)
His body showed signs of healing from a bad fall in the not-too-distant past: healed ribs that had been broken, a bruise on the abdomen and healing injuries to his head. Was this injury also drug or alcohol-related?

The New York Daily News reported that Mr. Kinkade’s brother said the artist had only just relapsed into alcohol use shortly before his death and that he had been drinking through the night before he was found unresponsive. (3)

Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program Helps Thousands Avoid this Fate

Every year in the US alone, more than 37,000 people die from drug overdoses or other drug-related causes. More than 25,000 people die from alcohol-related causes, as reported by the LA Times. (4) And around the world, more than two million people each year lose their lives due to alcohol overdose, alcohol-related accidents or illnesses caused by alcohol, per a report from the World Health Organization. (5)

“These statistics and Mr. Kinkade’s terribly tragic death reinforce our awareness of the deadliness of drug abuse, excessive alcohol consumption, or worst of all the combination of the two,” said Clark Carr, president of Narconon International, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating substance abuse and addiction through rehabilitation and prevention. “At Narconon rehab and prevention centers around the world, we work every day to save those who have reached out to be saved from this fate.”

Mr. Carr noted that the long-term Narconon rehab program, which is residential in most locations, helps addicts overcome the three most common factors that keep them locked in addiction: cravings, guilt and depression.

“News reports on Mr. Kinkade’s death have remarked on his recent separation from his wife, the bankruptcy of one of his companies, and the difficulty he had in dealing with critics who disapproved of his style of art, despite his great success,” stated Mr. Carr.

“Factors like these have driven too many persons to alcohol or drugs as a toxic solution,” Mr. Carr added. “But at Narconon rehabs, we teach those in recovery how to resolve such life problems so they are not drawn back into substance abuse. That’s why seven out of ten of out graduates often find lasting recovery at a Narconon center.”

Narconon rehab centers are located across North America and in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. This rehab program uses no drugs in treatment but instead provides a thorough detoxification step that helps reduce cravings, and extensive life skills training to enable graduates to live a sober life from then on.

“Mr. Kinkade’s name has been sadly added to the list of bright lights we have recently lost, including Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse,” said Mr. Carr. “At Narconon, we will continue to offer our help to minimize the damage that addiction can do to our artists, performers and other good citizens.”

For more information on the Narconon drug addiction program or prevention activities, call 1-800-775-8750.

Resources:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/37792-died-from-drug-overdoses-in-2010-us-says.html

1 http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-30-drug-overdose_N.htm

2 http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/ghb

3 http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-04-13/news/31339105_1_painter-thomas-kinkade-relapse-alcoholism

4 http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/coroner-valium-alcohol-killed-painter-kinkade-16298780#.T68L6e1SFSV

5 http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/en/Alcohol%20Policy%20Report.pdf