Heath Ledger Died Of Accidental Overdose
"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," medical examiner's spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a news release. The drugs are the generic names for the OxyContin painkiller, the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, and the sleep aids Restoril and Unisom. Hydrocodone is a widely used prescription painkiller. Borakove wouldn't say what concentrations of each drug were found in Ledger's blood, or whether one drug played a greater part than another in causing his death.
"What you're looking at here is the cumulative effects of these medications together is what caused his death," she said.
In a statement released through Ledger's publicist, Ledger's father, Kim, said Wednesday: "While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage."
RIP Heath.
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February 6th, 2008 8:39 PM
It's being looked into - With the autopsy results for Heath Ledger now a matter of public record, the federal government is stepping in to determine how the actor was able to obtain so many prescription drugs.
"We are working with the NYPD to identify any illegally prescribed drugs that may have been prescribed to [Ledger]," New York's Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Erin Mulvey.
But it sounds like he was getting high off these pills anyway. It's just a disaster. I feel bad for his family and his daughter and him. It feels strange to see Heath's picture and know that he's gone.
February 6th, 2008 6:36 PM
If this combo has potential lethal effects, why the hell were all of these drugs prescribed for him? I smell a malparctice lawsuit.