MARADONA FOLLOWS IN FOOTSTEPS OF A LONG LIST OF COCAINE USERS

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA, the greatest footballer of his generation and of
all time for those too young to remember the heyday of the Boys from Brazil
has arguably now completed his longrunning fall from grace.

Argentina's World Cup winner arrived in Havana last week to receive
treatment for his cocaine addiction. The former superstar now suffers from
cocaine addiction, withdrawal symptoms, massive blood pressure and possible
cardiovascular atrophy. Past personalities to have dabbled with the drug
include Sigmund Freud, but in more recent years a litany of stars have
suffered the consequences.

Ageing rockers such as Aerosmith are just some of many from the music world
to live up to the stereotypical lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.

Explaining how he had since mended his ways, Aerosmith lead singer, Steve
Tyler estimated that he must have hoovered millions of dollars worth of
cocaine up his nose.

In the mid 1970's, David Bowie set off on years of cocaine-fuelled excess
in Los Angeles, documented in some detail in his now ex-wife’s subsequent
autobiography.

At the height of his fame, Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher was let off
with just a slap on the wrist by British authorities, who decided to issue
him a warning rather than charge him with cocaine possession.

IT girl Tara Palmer Tompkinson was not so fortunate and last year confessed
to being a reformed cocaine and alcohol addict. Footballer Paul Merson is
another member of the cocaine confessors club.

Though remembered for coming out with one of the most famous cocaine
quotes, Robin Williams beat his addiction after a serious drugs problem in
the mid 80's to rise up in the Hollywood hierarchy.

Hollywood's most celebrated coke case of recent years is Robert Downey Jnr,
who inherited his predilection for drugs from his father. Downey Jnr's role
as a cocaine addict in the film Less Than Zero required little preparation.

In June 1996, he was arrested for driving while under the influence, for
possession of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and black-tar heroin, and
possession of a gun.

Spending time in jail wasn't enough to teach him a lesson, however and
there followed a series of further cocaine related incidents. True Romance
star, Christian Slater followed the Hollywood survival guide step-by-step
and checked himself into Rehab in 1997 after his cocaine problem got out of
order. The actor was arrested after allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend at
a party, and then biting the abdomen of a man who tried to intervene.

The Muscles from Brussels, Jean Claude Van Damme was divorced by his fourth
wife, Darcy LaPier who claimed he regularly beat her and that he suffered
from mood swings as a result of his cocaine addiction. The action star
subsequently went through rehab in 1996.

Cocaine may yet claim a high profile political victim this year. US
Presidential candidate, George W Bush stands accused of taking cocaine but
only says he has not taken drugs in a quarter of a century.