It kind of grinds my gears that the media thinks an icon's personal life and health need to be public knowledge. I would be fine remembering Prince for what he gave us in his music, not what his cause of death was.
The one thing that I hope comes of this, is that there is more recognition of the issue of prescription pain killer addiction and abuse. I don't like that people are going to remember Prince as a rock and roll drug addict (which the media is maybe not saying outright but they are leaving the door open to come to that conclusion), when that is likely not the case at all. Many good people become addicted to opioid pain killers that are prescribed with the best intentions by a doctor. They're strong drugs and the risk of addiction has been poorly communicated to prescribers and patients. Opioid addiction can affect anyone, from any social class, people who are trying to get real help with pain, not looking for a "high."
I'm glad Prince reached out for help. So sad that he slipped through their fingers like sand at the very end.
