Billy Idol recently reflected on his past drug addiction while speaking about his 1984 near-fatal heroin overdose.
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In his new documentary, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, the punk rocker spoke about the overdose, which happened in London as he was enjoying the success of his second album, Rebel Yell.
“I was coming back in triumph, and I nearly ruined it,” he explained, per PEOPLE. “We flew to London, where we met a load of our pals that we knew. They had some of the strongest heroin. Everybody did a line or so, and they all nodded out except for me and this mate of mine.”
Idol and his pal continued to do more heroin as the rest of their group passed out.
“I was basically dying,” the music icon recounted. “I was turning blue. So they put me in an ice-cold bath, and I remember them walking me around on the top of the building, on the roof.”
Idol also discussed how the punk rock scene really “embraced” the hard drugs, like heroin, at the time. “A number of people were on it,” he said. “But you know, you’re wide open for it. A lot of the people we loved were all heroin addicts. Lou Reed wrote the song ‘Heroin.’ You weren’t thinking about how dangerous it was. In fact, you’re thinking quite the opposite. Maybe this could unleash something.”
Billy Idol Gave up Heroin Following Wild Trip to Bangkok
Meanwhile, Billy Icon stated he decided to give up heroin after a wild trip to Bangkok after the birth of his son, Willem.
During the trip, he and a friend incurred an estimated $75,000 in damages at the hotel. Idol ended up passing out in a hotel elevator, with its doors opening and closing on him. He also threw a large log through a glass window, which prompted a call to local law enforcement.
“Mel Gisbon was there with his family on holiday, horrified,” Idol pointed out.
He then noted, “The silver lining was I did put heroin behind me. It was too horrible, the whole experience. It actually really put me off.”
Idol further described what it felt like to detox from the hard drug. “Getting off heroin is one of the most awfulest experiences in the world. Boy George said it right when he said it’s like your skeleton trying to get out of your body. There’s no quick fix. It’s such a long time. You’re just counting the days, the seconds, the hours.
“Even after six months, you still feel lousy,” he added.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). SAMHSA’s National Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7.