February
6
Ledger Died of Accidental Overdose
Heath Ledger died of an accidental drug overdose, says the medical examiner. As if we didn't know already, abusing--and mixing--drugs is not good.
Why whitewash what happened here? I agree with Michael Musto, who writes, "the truth can only heal." Ledger, probably depressed, exhausted and ill, mixed himself a potent cocktail--which, added to whatever was already in his system, killed him. The hazards of drug abuse are best publicized, not hidden.
Here's what he was taking, from the A.P.:
The cause of death was "acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine," spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a statement.The medical examiner's office only provided generic names, so it is unknown whether he took generic or brand-name drugs. Police had said they found six types of prescription drugs, including sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication, in Ledger's apartment.
Oxycodone is a painkiller marketed as OxyContin and used in other painkillers such as Percodan and Percocet; hydrocodone is used in a number of painkillers, including Vicodin.
Diazepam and alprazolam are the generic names for the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, and the other two drugs are sleep aids commonly sold under the brands Restoril and Unisom.
It's a sad, sad loss.
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The saddest part for me is that he had to know he was mixing a lethal combination of drugs--he's too smart and drug savvy not to have known. Therefore, one has to assume that however he was feeling without all those drugs was worse than anticipating dying . . .
Posted by: Nicole | February 08, 2008 at 11:51 AM