The head of the United Nations' anti-drug office says that celebrities who use illicit drugs are contributing to "state failure" in West Africa, CNN reported March 9.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime, wrote in an editorial that, "Coke-snorting fashionistas are not only damaging their noses and brains -- they are contributing to state failure on the other side of the world." Costa's comments followed a recent report from the International Narcotics Control Board that criticized lenient treatment for celebrity drug users for sending a bad message to youth.

West Africa has become a major transshipment point for cocaine heading from producers in South America to users in Europe.

"Amy Winehouse might adopt a defiant pose and slur her way through 'Rehab' (her Grammy Award-winning hit) but does she realize the message she sends to others who are vulnerable to addiction and who cannot afford expensive treatment?" wrote Costa. Winehouse's song deals with the singer's reluctance to enter an addiction treatment program, but she recently checked into one.

Chris Goodman, a spokesperson for Winehouse, called Costa a "ludicrous man," adding, "Amy has never given a quote about drugs or flaunted it in any way. She's had some problems and is trying to get better. The U.N. should get its own house in order."

Model and reputed cocaine user Kate Moss also was scolded by Costa."For every rebel with a cause, there are 10 others without a clue," Costa wrote. "While some well-meaning pop idols and film stars might rage against suffering in Africa, their work is being undermined by the drug habits of careless peers such as Kate Moss."