Cocaine's effects: Highs and harms

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Updated 11:51 AM ET, Wed May 17, 2017

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Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Comedian and actor John Belushi, known for his early work on "Saturday Night Live," died in 1982 after a "speedball," a combination of heroin and cocaine injected together via the same syringe. He was 33 years old.

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Australian actor Heath Ledger, star of "A Knight's Tale," "Brokeback Mountain" and the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight," died in 2008 of a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/06/heath.ledger/">prescription drug overdose</a>. He was 28. Opiates such as oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) were found in his system, along with alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium) and two insomnia drugs.

Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Australian actor Heath Ledger, star of "A Knight's Tale," "Brokeback Mountain" and the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight," died in 2008 of a prescription drug overdose. He was 28. Opiates such as oxycodone (OxyContin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) were found in his system, along with alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium) and two insomnia drugs.

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Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Actor River Phoenix collapsed and died outside Johnny Depp's West Hollywood nightclub on October 31, 1993, after consuming morphine and cocaine. He was 23 years old.

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Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

The King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley, was found dead in his bathroom on August 16, 1977. At the time, his death was attributed to a heart attack, but later investigations found multiple prescription drugs in his system, including the opioid codeine. Elvis was 42 years old.

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Rock superstar Prince, known as "The Purple One," died at his <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/health/prince-death-opioid-overdose/index.html">Paisley Park home in Minnesota</a> in April of what the medical examiner called a "self-administered" overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, one of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/10/health/fentanyl-opioid-explainer/">most powerful</a> of all opioids. Prince was 57 years old.

Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Rock superstar Prince, known as "The Purple One," died at his Paisley Park home in Minnesota in April of what the medical examiner called a "self-administered" overdose of the painkiller fentanyl, one of the most powerful of all opioids. Prince was 57 years old.

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Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died in February 2014 from a mixture of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/28/showbiz/philip-seymour-hoffman-autopsy/">opioid heroin and cocaine</a>, benzodiazepines and amphetamines. He was 46.

Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died in February 2014 from a mixture of the opioid heroin and cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamines. He was 46.

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"Glee" actor and singer Cory Monteith died of an <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/02/showbiz/cory-monteith-death-accidental/">overdose of heroin </a>mixed with alcohol in July 2013. Monteith had a history of drug use and rehabilitation attempts. He was 31 years old.

Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

"Glee" actor and singer Cory Monteith died of an overdose of heroin mixed with alcohol in July 2013. Monteith had a history of drug use and rehabilitation attempts. He was 31 years old.

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Photos: Celebrities who died from painkillers, cocaine and heroin

Paul Gray, bassist for the metal band Slipknot, died of an overdose of morphine and fentanyl in 2010. He was 38 years old.

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