...by looking at his body type on episodes of the show

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11357839/Matthew-Perry-says-viewers-determine-drug-using-filming-Friends.html


Perry, 53, shared details of his battle with substance abuse in his upcoming memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, which drops November 1
In a snippet obtained by Page Six (https://pagesix.com/2022/10/26/matthew-perry-how-to-tell-which-drugs-i-used-during-friends/), the actor spoke out about how his addiction to opioids and alcohol affected the way he looked on screen
He revealed that those watching the NBC comedy series can figure out how severe his drug use was based off his weight and beard length
He said that in the episodes where he looked bigger in size, he was drinking a lot of alcohol, while in parts where he appeared skinnier, he was abusing pills
Perry said his most severe drug use occurred when he grew a goatee; his addiction started in 1997 after he got into an accident and was given Vicodin
The comedian previously admitted that during the height of his career, he was taking 55 pain killers per day and dropped down to only 128 pounds