in case anyone would like to know more details i unearthed this:

"In late 1965, however, macrobiotics experienced its first major setback. Beth Ann Simon, a young heroin addict from New Jersey, had decided, without supervision, to switch suddenly to the strictest form of the macrobiotic cleansing diet, regimen number 7, consisting of only brown rice and other grains. She resumed her use of heroin, refused to broaden her diet, lost a lot of weight, then died on 9 Nov. 1965 in Clifton, New Jersey. Simon's father, an influential lawyer, tried to cover up his daughter's use of heroin and blame the "alien influence" of macrobiotics instead. According to Kotzsch (1981), when Ohsawa returned to America he was tried for medical malpractice. Although he was ultimately acquitted, he and the diet received much adverse publicity."

ive never read ohsawa's book on drugs&tobacco but i heard he was quite a smoker and fan of whiskey. (?)