Life in the fast lane

From Economist : A new study suggests that Rock Stars are up to three times more likely to die young than the rest of the population, mainly because of drug and alcohol abuse.

Researchers led by Mark Bellis at Liverpool John Moores University looked at survival rates for over 1,000 European and American musicians who had their first chart success between 1956 and 1999. From 1956 to 2005, 100 of them died. Some 40% of the Europeans and 28% of the Americans died from overdoses, accidents or chronic disease related to drugs and drink. Cancer and heart disease, conditions associated with unhealthy lifestyles, together claimed over a third of the Americans. The study is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.