Juice WRLD | Oxycodone & Codeine Overdose Death

The rapper Juice WRLD was an American singer and songwriter. He passed away at the age of 21 from an oxycodone and codeine overdose.

How Juice WRLD Died

Juice WRLD’s death was officially ruled as an accidental overdose. The cause of death of the 21-year-old was due to a codeine and oxycodone drug overdose.

However, the circumstances surrounding Juice WRLD’s death are a bit complicated. 

On December 8, 2019, Juice WRLD was traveling from Los Angeles to the Midway International airport located in Chicago on his private jet.

Federal agents were made aware that drugs were onboard the aircraft. Upon landing in Chicago, the Chicago police found 70 lbs of marijuana.

To prevent drugs being raided by Chicago police, Juice WRLD took Percocet and other medications at the same time which led to codeine toxicity. Combining these opioid medications led to seizures and convulsions, an immediate medical emergency.

Narcan (naloxone), a medication used to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was administered twice in the hopes of assisting Juice WRLD. He was transferred to a local medical center where he was pronounced dead.

A month after his death, the Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled the official cause of death as an accidental overdose.

About Juice WRLD

Juice WRLD (real name Jarad Anthony Higgins) was born on December 2, 1988, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents divorced when he was three.

He grew up in a religious and strict household living with his mother who prevented him from listening to hip-hop. Despite this, he learned to play the piano and later posted songs to SoundCloud, which sparked the beginning of his rap career. 

He was influenced by other artists including Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Drake.

Music Career

In 2018, Juice WRLD released the single “Lucid Dreams” which landed at the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The song later appeared on his debut album Goodbye & Good Riddance. This album also featured the hit song “All Girls Are The Same.”

Throughout this time, Juice WRLD released a number of music videos. He later released the album Death Race for Love in 2019.

Juice WRLD’s song “Legends” landed on the Hot 100 at 65. On June 19, 2019, Juice WRLD dedicated his new EP titled Too Soon… to rappers Lil Peep and XXXTentacion who died before the age of 21.

The last song released before his death was titled “Bandit,” which landed at number ten on the Hot 100 charts in October 2019. 

Posthumous Material

Although Juice WRLD passed away that December, he continued to appear posthumously on various albums which include other musicians including Chance the Rapper, Halsey, and Marshmello.

After his death, his former girlfriend Ally Lotti and his estate shed light on mental health and substance abuse problems in the HBO documentary Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss.

Juice WRLD’s History Of Substance Abuse

During his younger years as a child and a teen, Juice WRLD abused drugs. In sixth grade, he began drinking lean, a concoction of cough syrup which contains codeine.

Xanax and Percocet were Juice WRLD’s drug of choice as early as 2013. Juice WRLD suffered from mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

According to The New York Times, Juice WRLD rapped about drug abuse to the point that some of the lyrics may seem prophetic. In fact, the “Legends” song features the following lyrics:

“They tell me I’ma be a legend, I don’t want that title now, ’Cause all the legends seem to die out.”

Did Juice WRLD Attend Addiction Treatment?

Lil Bibby, the head of the label for Juice WRLD, stated that Juice WRLD agreed to find addiction treatment days before his death. Unfortunately, Juice WRLD never received treatment for his drug abuse or mental health concerns.

Recovery Is Possible

Although the tragic circumstances surrounding Juice WRLD’s death are unique, prescription drug abuse and addiction affects countless people.

However, recovery is possible when you receive a combination of treatment services that include therapy, peer support, and evidence-based inpatient treatment or outpatient care. To learn how we address opioid addiction, please contact us today.