# TV characters who have a drug problem but....no one cares **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [January 8, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034 "2021-01-08T13:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/1 "2021-01-08T13:17:13Z")
Usually (even in a comedy) when its revealed that a character abuses drugs…they quickly are non-functional and it becomes a ‘special episode’…see The Drew Carey Show. But what characters openly flaunt their abuse and their compatriots just roll their eyes and move on? The FIRST character i noticed was Karen on Will and Grace…and then there’s Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock. Of course these are usually pills, booze and an occasional mention of cocaine. I don’t think I’ve seen a character admit they do heroin and the show just rolls on. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/2 "2021-01-08T13:29:21Z")
Otis Campbell on the **The Andy Griffith Show** ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/3 "2021-01-08T13:32:53Z")
Norm on Cheers. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/4 "2021-01-08T13:34:18Z")
Penny on Big Bang Theory certainly liked her wine, and seemed like she was being portrayed as borderline alcoholic…but I don’t think anything came of it. I could be wrong, because I didn’t watch the final season. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/5 "2021-01-08T13:37:34Z")
Charlie on _Two and a Half Men_. Come to think of it,I think his mother was too. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/6 "2021-01-08T13:38:43Z")
The doctors on MASH. > **[Name That Episode 248 - MASH4077TV.com](https://www.mash4077tv.com/2012/02/name-that-episode-248/)** > > The Name That Episode game is played Tuesdays and Thursdays, with images posted randomly between 10AM and 6PM Eastern. Players can participate as often as they like. An archive of past rounds can be found here. Today’s image can be found below. Can... ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/7 "2021-01-08T13:53:32Z")
Lucille on Arrested Development? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/8 "2021-01-08T14:02:14Z")
Scooby Doo ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/9 "2021-01-08T14:03:26Z")
Most of the cast of “Archer”. ---
**Author:** ![Pavelb1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pavelb1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pavelb1)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/10 "2021-01-08T14:04:10Z")
Thats a good one…and if we’re including Scooby-Doo, then Popeye for sure. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/11 "2021-01-08T14:05:50Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Scooby Doo I think Shaggy had the real problem-- he was the one pushing the edibles ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/12 "2021-01-08T14:10:15Z")
In the backstory for Cheers, Sam Malone was a recovering alcoholic who ran a bar, but his alcoholism was rarely mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/13 "2021-01-08T14:13:58Z")
Charlie on Always Sunny in Philadelphia huffs glue. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/14 "2021-01-08T14:15:54Z")
If we’re doing Popeye, then definitely Wimpy. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/15 "2021-01-08T14:18:32Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > definitely Wimpy. Is there a 12-step program for _Hamberder_ addicts? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/16 "2021-01-08T14:20:36Z")
Have you ever seen a hamburger addict use the stairs? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/17 "2021-01-08T14:29:16Z")
Klaus in _The Sparrow Academy_ is seen in the first seen breezing out of detox like he’s been on vacation. He’s seen as a lovable fuckup. Occasionally someone says “are you high again” and that’s the end of it. _The Queen’s Gambit_ does get into the problems a little bit, she abuses alcohol and Librium, but by and large it’s seen as a competitive chess enhancer. There are a lot of problems with drug portrayal on TV, but none of them grinds my gears as much as when they treat mind-altering drugs as performance enhancers. Guzzling alcohol from the bottle should lead to lethargy and bad decisions in the next scene, not superpowers or bravery. Also it’s annoying when they mix up the effects of different drugs. If you’re going to take any drug at all to be a chess master, it would be a stimulant, not an anxiolytic. It seems like TV has spent so long pretending recreational drugs don’t exist that they really don’t know how to handle them realistically. It’s always got to be something helpful or destructive, never just a thing people do that creates minor interesting problems and sideplots. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/18 "2021-01-08T14:30:42Z")
Dean Winchester on **Supernatural** was a huge alcoholic, but by season 7 if not earlier everyone knew it. Didn’t keep him from being one hell of a badass Hunter. ---
**Author:** ![TimothyNewsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@TimothyNewsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimothyNewsome)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/19 "2021-01-08T14:38:01Z")
Didn’t “That 70’s Show” almost revolve around the fact that just about all of the young central cast members were stoned practically 24/7? ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034/20 "2021-01-08T14:49:03Z")
Shaggy had the munchies so bad, he regularly ate _dog food_ just to satisfy his cravings! That was a young man with a problem. But rather than helping him, his friends just used his craving for dog biscuits to manipulate him into investigating the latest ghostly happening. Let’s not even get into his delusion that the dog could talk… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-characters-who-have-a-drug-problem-but-no-one-cares/930034.md?page=2)