Leonardo Dicaprio never been tempted by illegal substances

Leonardo Dicaprio never been tempted by illegal substances

Leonardo Dicaprio he has never been tempted by illegal substances - because he has seen first hand the effect drugs can have on people's lives.

He says, "I knew drugs were bad, even as a little kid. Seeing the effects that drugs had on my block, seeing heroin addicts, it made me think twice about ever getting involved in drugs.

"I was so horrified by what I saw drugs do to people that I never wanted anything to do with them. It's evil. Once you take that step and experiment, drugs take over your life. You are not yourself any more. That's something I never wanted.

"Then, when I was a young actor, I saw other actors die of drugs. I watched what happened to River Phoenix [died in 1993 from a heroin and cocaine overdose], who was such an influence on me as a young actor.

"Now Heath Ledger has died young [2008; overdose of prescription drugs]. It is such a horrifying thought to know that those guys aren't around any more. Every person has demons. We all have horrible fears and insecurities that we need to overcome."