Cocaine use has been around for many years and is a highly potent stimulant that is considered to be one of the greatest drug threats to the world because of the violence associated with trafficking and use, the physical and psychological effects associated with its use, and the costs to society as a whole.

In today’s fashion industry, cocaine is abused by more and more models every year in a sad attempt to lose weight. With the added pressure of young Hollywood, models seek to obtain that rail-thin look in order to gain more jobs and become that much closer to becoming a “super star”.

In 1998, the release of GIA, starring Angelina Jolie, Gia chronicles the true story of the rise and fall of Gia Marie Carangi,  one of the top model in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

During a period when models were usually thin and blond, Gia became widely successful  with her dark and sexy looks and her willingness to do nude photo shoots.

She tries to form a relationship with her mother (who abandoned Gia as a child); and later turns to cocaine and heroin to deal with her emotions. The addiction is no secret, and she almost loses her modeling career when she starts to nod off because of heroin at runway shows and photo shoots.

After going through detox, Gia still did not feel well and eventually discovered she had AIDS after a visit to the hospital. She was one of the first women to be diagnosed with the disease and died at the age of 26.