Heroin use seemed to transcend race and class.
Proof that heroin use had spread among all classes and races can be found in popular culture. "Heroin chic" described the glassy-eyed stare of near-anorexic fashion models, a look that became very hip during the 1990s. Politicians and anti-drug advocates accused the fashion industry of enticing young people to use the drug by making heroin seem alluring. One purveyor of heroin chic, 20-year-old fashion photographer Davide Sorrenti, also became one of the drug's victims when he died from an overdose in 1997 (Spindler).
Heroin also enjoyed increasing popularity among rock musicians, most notably Kurt Cobain, the founder of the band Nirvana and one of the originators of "grunge rock." Cobain made no secret of his heroin use during Nirvana's heyday, and many blame the drug for his suicide, which resulted from a shotgun blast (Crowe, 1996, p. F16). Another grunge rocker, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, has had a very public battle with heroin addiction. The band had to cancel a tour in 1995 after Weilan
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