Pop Star Demi Lovato Reveals She Started Taking Opiates At 13

Demi Lovato, 30, has spoken out about her past experiences with substance abuse and revealed that she was 13 years old the first time she used opiates.

'Looking for an escape'

The singer recalled how she first tried drugs as a teenager, noting that she had already “ started drinking” during Wednesday&rsquo's Call Her Daddy podcast episode. Lovato told host Alexandra Cooper, “ I began experimenting for the first time when I was 12 or 13.

I got into a car accident, and the physician prescribed me opiates.” The singer continued, “ My mom didn’t think she would have to lock up the opiates from her 13-year-old daughter, but I was already drinking at that point.”

The “ Cool for the Summer” singer added, “ I had been bullied and was looking for an escape.” Lovato said that when her mom realized “ how many of the pills had disappeared,” she decided to “ lock them up.”

Also Read: Demi Lovato Shares The Advice To Young Disney Stars Today: 'Take It Easy'

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Demi Lovato recalls her experience with drugs

As Lovato explained how she “ drank a lot” as a teen, she noted that between the ages of 15 and 16 when her mother had a Xanax addiction, she stole some of her mother’s spills. Although her drug experiences were “ off and on” throughout those years, Lovato confessed that she decided to experiment with cocaine at 17.

The former Disney star added, “ It was the first time I tried coke and, like, loved it too much and then kinda bled into me going to treatment right after I turned 18.” She then discussed some of her previous drinking habits and her first time drinking, which was when she “ stole beer” from her stepfather’s refrigerator.

She explained, “ My first time drinking, I was alone, and that should have been a major red flag,” adding, “ I stole beer from my dad, in the fridge, my stepdad and took it to my room and drank like four beers just to see what it was like to feel drunk.” She recalled, “ I was like a little 90-pound girl,” adding, “ So that was a lot. Then we started being like pals, and I was never alone after that.”

'California sober'

This is not the first time Lovato talking about her past experiences with substance abuse. Previously, in March 2021, Lovato talked about being “ California sober,” a method that involves consuming marijuana and alcohol in moderation.

The decision came following her near-fatal overdose in July 2018. In a YouTube documentary, Dancing with the Devil, released in April 2021, the “ Confident” singer detailed her journey through relapse, hospitalization, and recovery after her overdose.