Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790):
Role: One of America’s Founding Fathers.
Addiction: Franklin abused laudanum (an opiate and alcohol mixture) for pain and ailments (for instance, he had gout in his feet which made it painful for him to walk and severe kidney stones which was the reason doctors recommended laudanum in 1782). However, laudanum was habitually used at the time so his reputation was not tainted by this.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826):
Role: One of America’s Founding Fathers and the third US President; he became well known for writing the Declaration of Independence.
Addiction: Jefferson allegedly resorted to using laudanum to treat his excessive diarrhoea; he even grew white opium on his plantation at Monticello.
Anthony Eden (1897-1977):
Role: Prime Minister (successor to Winston Churchill who himself battled with an addiction to pills that kept him awake at night).
Addiction: Eden used Benzedrine, Amphetamine, and is infamous for using Drinamyl (better known as ‘purple hearts’) which affected his decision making and resulted in the complete humiliation of Britain during the Suez Crisis. Drinamyl causes paranoia and distorts reality hence why it was banned in 1978.
William Wilberforce (1759-1833):
Role: Wilberforce, the anti-slavery politician, is known for his contribution to abolishing the transatlantic slave trade within the British Empire.
Addiction: Wilberforce used opium for up to 45 years before his death.
Marcus Aurelius (121-180):
Role: Aurelius was a famous Roman Emperor and became an immortalised and iconic philosopher.
Addiction: Aurelius used opium and became dependent on theriac as a painkiller and sleeping aid to treat his insomnia.
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882):
Role: President Abraham Lincoln’s wife.
Addiction: Mary consumed lots of wine and used paregoric (a type of opium) for relief from her migraines. Her maid, Mariah Vance, saw how much Mary was taking and how violent it made her but Mary refused to restrict her opium intake when confronted by Mariah. Initially, Mary used laudanum for her migraines and to assist with the pain of childbirth but her opium use peaked after Lincoln’s death whereby she mixed various opium products together and drank numerous bottles of laudanum daily.
Thomas Edison (1847-1931):
Role: Edison is a famous inventor, some of his inventions include the electric light bulbs and the phonograph.
Addiction: Edison consumed cocaine elixirs such as Vin Mariani (a mixture of red wine and cocaine) to keep him stimulated and awake for longer.
Samuel Johnson (1709-1784):
Role: Johnson is famous for having established the English Language through writing ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’ as well as having one of the most famous biographies.
Addiction: Johnson used opium for “relaxation of the breast” and preferred mixing opium with marshmallow which he consumed in large amounts (200 milligrams); Johnson abused drugs for 30 years until his death in 1784.
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945):
Role: Dictator of Nazi Germany.
Addiction: Hitler allegedly abused 74 different types of drugs including crystal meth, morphine, bull semen (to boost virility), cocaine eye drops, nux vomica, atropine, barbitone, belladonna, testosterone, etc. and even provided soldiers in the Germany army with methamphetamine to keep them active on battlefield.
Hermann Goering (1893-1946):
Role: Hitler’s second in command, leader of the Nazi Party, and the head of the German Air Force.
Addiction: Goering used morphine and cocaine (a popular drug amongst the Nazi elite) very regularly after developing a serious groin injury during the 1923 Munich Putsch; during the 1930’s Goering then fell for para-codeine a morphine substitute in Germany, and when he was arrested he was averaging 100 codeine tablets daily. Just before he died, he had the entire world supply of para-codeine pills in his suitcase which contained 20,000 para-codeine pills.
Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918):
Role: Last Emperor of Russia.
Addiction: Nicholas abused opium, cocaine, morphine, and hallucinogens to help manage stress.
References:
Gora, G. (2015). 10 Historical Figures Who Were Dependent On Opium, Listverse
14 Famous People You Had No Idea Were Avowed Drug Advocates, (2018). All That’s Interesting
Hurst, D. (2018). Famous Historical Drug Users and Addicts, Owlcation
Reed, B. (2015). Here are the favourite illegal drugs used by history’s greatest geniuses, BGR
The Founding Fathers on Drugs and Alcohol, (2016). Mountainside
Morris, N. (2006). Eden 'was on purple hearts during Suez crisis', Independent
Yosomono, World leaders that had serious drug addictions, Gaijinass
Conradt, S. (2009). The Quick 10: 10 Leaders Under the Influence, Mental Floss
Retief, F. (2007). Marcus Aurelius: was he an opium addict?