UPDATE: According to the coroner, Corey Haim died as result of natural causes.

Fans woke up Wednesday morning with the sad news that 1980s teen icon Corey Haim died during the night. Unfortunately, this headline is not uncommon…nor is the sad story that sums up the once-promising actor’s young life. Perhaps best known as Corey Feldman’s frequent co-star, Corey Haim was once one of the most popular stars in the country. During his heyday of The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Lucas, Haim captivated hearts - and casting directors - with his trademark smirk and level gaze. It’s too bad that, at the same time, substance abuse captivated him.

At the pinnacle of his career, Corey Haim fell into the dark world of drug abuse. He publicly spoke about smoking marijuana on the set of The Lost Boys, was once rushed to the hospital by his fiancee at the time (Nicole Eggert), and even suffered a stroke from constant substance abuse. Haim was in and out of rehab several times over the course of his three-decade career, which in 2008 seemed to be on the brink of a re-awakening. Again partnered with Corey Feldman, Haim began working with A&E to create The Two Coreys, a reality series detailing the pair’s re-rise to fame and success. But things didn’t work out that way. As Haim’s substance abuse problems continued, he began alienating all those around him - even his best friend and most solid co-star. The show was canceled after only two seasons, when it became clear that the two bickering title stars weren’t going to play nicely together.

So ended Corey Haim‘s second chance. Wednesday’s headlines show us that he will not get another. This story is all too common in Hollywood…and in a way, the fault for that lies in all of us.

Former teen icon Lindsay Lohan is only one of many members of Young Hollywood who seem to be repeating the chilling pattern exposed by Corey Haim’s life and death. Her on-again, off-again stints in rehab have been well-publicized, her Twitter account is constantly watched and any sound bites coming from her father are greedily published so that all may read. Lohan is/was an actress and a public figure, and in our world that makes her fair game for headlines. The sadder a star’s life, the more certain it is to grab national attention. Years ago, Lohan was a sweet-faced kid doing Disney movies, with obvious acting chops and a charmed life that seemed destined for A-list success. Today, she is tabloid fodder with no truly promising movie projects on the horizon - and it all happened within the span of five years. Without intervention, her story could have the same sorrowful ending as Corey Haim’s. There is no question that the two have shared a similar life and career path, a single-minded pursuit of self-destruction.

Model and reality star Anna Nicole Smith was clearly loaded during many of her public appearances, at times stumbling, slurring and screeching with laughter. There seemed to be no question that she suffered from some sort of substance problems…and yet, the world reacted with shock to her death. It is not at all shocking for a drug addict to die young. In fact, it’s the sad fate that many of them share. When a star is publicly intoxicated, it’s considered news - and not, as it should be, a reason to do something.

Wikipedia displays a mind-boggling list of celebrities who have died from drug-related deaths, a register that contains names like Heath Ledger, Bruce Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Jim Morrison, River Phoenix and Chris Farley. Not one of them made it to the age of 40, and all of them were well-loved, highly-talented performers. Scientific study tells us that addiction is a disease, and common sense tells us that many of these stars were publicly crying out for help. They received big black headlines instead.

It is too late to save Corey Haim and the other Hollywood stars who succumbed to their disease…but it’s not to late to change the way we react to their substance abuse problems. Please watch the video below - and get a look at the real face of drug addiction.