It ended way too soon!


    Get Help Now!  

  800.815.3910 

  Available 24/7   

The road to recovery starts here! Trusted, confidential help available 24/7. Speak with an addiction treatment specialist anytime. Please call us now at 800-815-3910!



It ended way too soon!

by Ned Wicker

(Wisconsin)

The other day the name of George Carlin came up and I realized it had been more than five years since his death and it was hard to believe it had been that long. I was saddened by the death of George Carlin. The tributes came, as people of my generation remember his commentary on American life and culture.

Was scheduled to receive a great honor

He was scheduled to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American humor later that year, and he will always be remembered for his “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” routine. So much of his comedy was edgy and stretched the limits of societal tolerance. He talked about the human condition and how people see the world and react to it.

He was only 71, but had lived with heart disease, and it was heart failure that caused his death on June 22, 2008. I read a news story that said Carlin admitted to being high on cocaine for the entire week leading up to the 1975 debut of “Saturday Night Live.”

It’s a story so common with celebrities—drug abuse. I was reading another story written in 1999, talking about Carlin’s three heart attacks. Did Carlin’s use of cocaine contribute directly to his heart failure? I do not know that.

Cocaine in any amount interferes with the normal function of the heart, and thousands have died as a result of the heart being affected by the drug. It can cause heart attacks and long-term damage to the heart.

Cocaine can cause the heart to beat so rapidly that it can’t get the requisite oxygen and other nutrients to the rest of the body. Cocaine can cause blood vessels to narrow or close, causing an interruption to the blood flow to the heart and part of the heart can die.

Cocaine abuse can cause irregular heart beat, leading to cardiac arrest. It can weaken the heart and interrupt blood flow in vessels (Congestive Heart Failure). If a person used cocaine over a prolonged period of time, the list of possible heart maladies is seemingly endless. In any amount, cocaine can be deadly.

He often seemed unhappy

Carlin was an insightful commentator on life. But I always thought over the years that he was very unhappy and that much of his comedy came as a result of his ability to recognize and feel the pain of human suffering. His routines on language and religion, in particular were illustrative of his ability to see the absurdity of life. But there was so much sadness.

I vividly remember going to see him in Milwaukee in the 1980’s, because he was so negative, so profoundly sad. It wasn’t edgy, it was depressing, it was angry and it wasn’t funny. It was like he had a huge hole in his life, and his routine that night was just Carlin lashing out at the world around him. When he used cocaine, maybe it was in an attempt to fill that hole or to find relief from the absurdity he lectured on.

Didn’t need cocaine

I do not believe George Carlin needed cocaine to be funny, or to gain an edge when performing. His first performance of “Saturday Night Live” was just plain funny on its own. The humor comes from the human condition, from the ability to experience. He was a comedic icon. It is sad that he is gone at 71 years and even sadder if cocaine use in the past had anything to do with it.

Click here to post comments


Do you have a question or story? It’s easy to ask your question or submit your story. How? Simply click here to return to Drug Addiction Causes.





and Finally Remember:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
– Matthew 7:7-8




Recent Articles

  1. Opiate Addiction Causes

    Dec 14, 17 09:45 AM

    Opiate Addiction Causes are the reasons that some are addicted to drugs with little use and others are not…

    Read More

  2. Addiction Counseling

    Dec 13, 17 09:13 AM

    Addiction Counseling can be done in-patient or out-patient but must be customized to meet the unique needs of the the person.

    Read More

  3. Tips for Discussing Addiction.

    Dec 12, 17 08:53 AM

    Discussing addiction with others can be tricky. Whether you are the one directly involved with the addiction or a trusted loved one, this is a very personal

    Read More



Follow on Twitter or Google+






Similar Posts