According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, there are around 4.6 million drug–related emergency department visits every year. That equates to 4.6 million people with substance abuse problems, who deal with the repercussions of their addiction and face fallout from family and friends. The harsh reality is that there is nothing special about a drug overdose. There is no reason to praise a drug addict; no reason for his or her face to be plastered across magazines and his or her name to be everywhere in the news. So why did we care so much when former NBA player Lamar Odom was admitted to a hospital after an overdose?
The answer, of course, is obvious- Khloe Kardashian. The Kardashians, a family famously known for being famous for literally no reason, has a habit of making anyone who is associated with their name as famous as they are. They have made instant celebrities out of Scott Disick, Kris Humphries and many other formerly unknown or D-list celebrities. So when Khloe and Lamar got married in 2009, Odom became a part of the Kardashian empire. However, when Khloe filed for divorce in 2013, he disappeared just as quickly as he appeared.
But now, he appears to be back in the limelight. The basketball player, who should be known for his NBA career instead of his marriage to a Kardashian, has made his way back into everyone’s hearts by turning up unconscious in a Nevada brothel in October. The drug scandal that followed somehow brought Lamar into the public eye because of Khloe’s decision to call off their divorce.
There is no problem with someone calling off a decision such as divorce after a tragedy. However, should we really be giving a drug addict this much love and attention? One side of the media is full of prayers hoping that Odom gets better, and the other is all talk about the divorce (or lack there of). The truth that the media isn’t seeing is this: Lamar Odom is a drug addict. While there is nothing wrong with hoping he wakes up, we need to stop praising him and his marriage. We should start hoping that he gets the treatment he needs, not that he appears in a future episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians.
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