Billy Idol has long spoken candidly about his history with drugs, and he has now shared that he became addicted to crack while trying to move away from another high-risk substance.
For decades, the culture surrounding major rock acts has often been intertwined with heavy drug use—hence why “sex, drugs and rock and roll” remains such a familiar refrain.
Many of the substances associated with that lifestyle carry serious dangers, and British musician Billy Idol has never shied away from acknowledging his own experiences.
In a conversation on Bill Maher’s podcast, the 70-year-old looked back on his life and career, including the periods when he used a range of drugs before eventually getting sober.
Maher also touched on his own past drug use, and the two compared stories, noting how their experiences didn’t always line up.
Idol, reflecting on where he is now, said it’s unsettling to think about people starting drugs later in life—particularly if they’ve managed to avoid them for many years.
He also joked that he was almost relieved he went through those years when he was younger, suggesting he had the kind of energy it took to live that way.
While discussing attempts to quit heroin, Idol said he went through what he called a “cocaine phase,” alongside experimenting with other substances.
He said: “Well, when you are trying to get off heroin, what do you go to.
“You go to something else. I started smoking crack to get off heroin. It worked.
“This is probably the worst advert but it worked, I got off it. This was years ago. I glad I got away from it.”
Maher and Idol then laughed about how the takeaway from that story was clearly not something anyone should treat as sound advice.
It’s worth emphasizing that switching to another dangerous drug is not a safe or medically recommended approach to overcoming addiction.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that ‘treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s disruptive effects on their brain and behavior and regain control of their lives.’
Regarding getting effective treatment, the institution said: “Research shows that when treating addictions to opioids (prescription pain relievers or drugs like heroin or fentanyl), medication should be the first line of treatment, usually combined with some form of behavioral therapy or counseling. Medications are also available to help treat addiction to alcohol and nicotine.
“Additionally, medications are used to help people detoxify from drugs, although detoxification is not the same as treatment and is not sufficient to help a person recover. Detoxification alone without subsequent treatment generally leads to resumption of drug use.
“Treatment should be tailored to address each patient’s drug use patterns and drug-related medical, mental, and social problems.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can call American Addiction Centers on (888) 830-7624 24 hours, seven days a week, or contact them through their website.