Ethan Embry Gets Candid About His Opiate Addiction: ‘It’s a Health Crisis’
Ethan Embry starred in the beloved 1998 rom-com Can’t Hardly Wait. Recently, he has revealed his battle with opiate addiction.
The 38-year-old actor posted a series of tweets in response to Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s memo that was released on Friday. The new directive supports far harsher criminal charges for nonviolent drug crimes.
Embry tweeted, “Opiate [overdose] is the leading cause of preventable death in America at 50k last year alone. It’s a health crisis not a criminal one Mr Sessions.”
He also added that the first step to combating the crisis is to dismantle the stigma around the disease. He wrote, “For decades we have told addicts that their behavior deserves punishment. That they should be locked away for their addictions. All that accomplishes is multiplying the shame that us addicts experience. It forces us to hide our addictions until it’s too late for help.”
Embry continued to talk about his past on his tweets. He said six years ago he was addicted to painkillers and black tar heroin. But these days, he lives a sober life and wants to inspire others to believe that they can too. He opened his Twitter inbox to any followers who might need any tips about getting clean.
“Life won’t get any easier for us when we sober up. But I do promise you’ll be better at dealing with what comes at you clean,” he concluded.
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