Louis Abolafia | Drug Overdose Death

Louis Abolafia isn’t widely remembered today.

However, there was a time when he was a prominent member of the art and culture scenes of New York and Los Angeles, promoting events, serving vulnerable members of his community, promoting the arts, and even running for president under the hippie ‘love ticket’ as the candidate for the Nudist Party.

Abolafia was also rumored to have eventually developed a problem with illicit drugs that contributed to his premature death in 1995 at age 54.

How Louis Abolafia Died

Abolafia likely struggled with drugs in his later life, specifically methamphetamine and the prescription benzodiazepine drug Valium. 

While the exact cause and nature of his death has not been made public, records show that the former New Yorker died from a drug overdose in 1995 in Los Angeles County, California.

Louis Abolafia Remembered

The son of a New York City florist, born in February of 1941, Louis Abolafia was a painter, countercultural activist, and 1968 novelty presidential candidate. 

He is known best for his campaign poster which features a famous photo of him in black and white, totally naked save for a carefully positioned hat, paired with the campaign slogan, “What have I got to hide?”

The Naked Hippie Campaign

The naked hippie “love candidate’s” campaign claimed almost 2 million votes in the 1968 election that went to Richard Nixon. Behind his clever publicity stunts, Abolafia was known as a talented artist and a compassionate soul.

He famously appeared on the Johnny Carson Show where he claimed that, as president, he would ask everyone to donate one dollar to feed the poor, and he would paint the White House purple.

Compassion & Activism

Abolafia’s first protests took place in 1964, as he was arrested for hanging one of his paintings next to Rodin’s “The Thinker” at the Metropolitan Museum. 

As a central part of the Greenwich Village art Scene of the 1960s, he would eventually open his own art studio, arguing that America didn’t value art as it should.

Abolafia founded one of the first runaway centers in the East Village at his art studio on 129 East Fourth Street, searching for lost youth on the streets, housing those he could find, and hanging photos of them on his walls.

He also organized events, love-ins, and happenings that combined music, poetry and audience participation, inspiring the New York press to crown him “The Love King” and driving publicity for his eventual and amusing candidacy for the President of the United States under the banner of the Nudist Party.

California & Legacy

According to records, Abolafia moved to San Francisco in the 1970s where he was involved in organizing the Exotic Erotic Ball in 1979, a long-running fantastical costume party. 

According to some, Abolafia may even have been the first to coin the phrase, “make love, not war” as part of the promotional runup for the event.

Moreover, Abolafia’s original campaign photo in its distinctive style and ubiquitous distribution throughout New York City in sticker form has been proposed as inspiration for the anonymous artist Banksy’s own groundbreaking brand of protest street artwork.

Drug Abuse & Overdose In Older Adults

While Louis Abolafia may have been an unconventional presidential candidate, his struggles with substance abuse later in life are far from unique. 

In fact, there were over 5,209 drug overdose deaths among Americans ages 65 and older in 2020 alone, with the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths for adults aged 65 and over increasing from 2.4 deaths per 100,000 standard population in the year 2000 to 8.8 in 2020.

More Vulnerable Than Other Populations

While the rates of drug overdose are lower for older age groups than, older adults are generally more vulnerable to overdose on an individual basis. 

Older adults are more likely to take multiple medications and have physical or mental health conditions that can interact with drugs like opioids, methamphetamine, and others.

Some may also have long histories of substance abuse that have already compromised their liver, kidney, and behavioral health. 

Many substances of abuse can worsen mood disorders, heart or lung problems, memory, judgment, coordination, balance, and reaction time, leading to accidental injury or death.

Recovery Is Possible

If you or someone you love has been facing a struggle with drug or alcohol abuse and addiction, recovery is possible. To learn more about how we improve the quality of life for individuals and families living with addiction, please contact us today.