There are several well-known fictional drug addicts in literature, film, and television. Some of the most easily recognizable ones include:
Sherlock Holmes (Literature/Film/TV): In some adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, the character is depicted as a cocaine user. He uses cocaine to alleviate his boredom when there are no stimulating cases to solve.
Tony Montana (Film - "Scarface"): Al Pacino portrayed Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant who rises to power in the drug trade in Miami. His addiction to cocaine is a significant aspect of the character's downfall.
Renton (Film/Book - "Trainspotting"): Played by Ewan McGregor in the film adaptation, Renton is a heroin addict trying to break free from his addiction. The story follows the struggles of him and his friends in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Jay Gatsby (Literature - "The Great Gatsby"): F. Scott Fitzgerald's character Jay Gatsby is depicted as using opium to cope with the disillusionment he feels in the face of unrequited love.
Nurse Jackie (TV Series - "Nurse Jackie"): Edie Falco stars as Jackie Peyton, a talented nurse with an addiction to prescription drugs. The show explores her attempts to maintain her personal and professional life while battling her drug problem.
Jim Carroll (Film/Book - "The Basketball Diaries"): Leonardo DiCaprio played Jim Carroll, a talented basketball player whose life spirals into drug addiction. The story is based on the real-life experiences of poet Jim Carroll.
Mia Wallace (Film - "Pulp Fiction"): Uma Thurman portrayed Mia Wallace, the wife of a crime boss, who is seen using heroin in a famous scene in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
William "D-Fens" Foster (Film - "Falling Down"): Michael Douglas played a character known as "D-Fens," whose frustration with life leads him to use prescription drugs to cope with his issues.
Alice (Literature - "Alice in Wonderland"): In Lewis Carroll's classic tale, Alice consumes a potion that makes her shrink in size, and later, she eats a cake that makes her grow. Although not explicitly a drug addict, the story has been interpreted as a metaphor for drug use.
It's worth noting that while some of these characters are drug addicts, their portrayal may vary in different adaptations and interpretations, and not all of them are necessarily intended to be positive representations of addiction. Fictional characters can serve as powerful symbols and provide insight into the complexities of addiction and its consequences.