Controvery Over Heath Ledger’s Autopsy Report
The New York City’s medical examiner released their official findings in the death of actor Heath Ledger today. Depending on who is reporting the news, Ledger either died of an accidental pill overdose or an abuse of prescription drugs.
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 drugs are the generic names for some very popular medications. Oxycodone, which is often abused, and hydrocodone are painkillers. Diazepam and alprazolam are anti-anxiety medicines. Diazepam is sold under the brand name Valium and alprazolam is sold under the name Xanax. Temazepam is a sleep aid sold under the name Restoril. Doxylamine, a sleep aid and antihistamine, is an active ingredient in a number of over-the-counter medications, including NyQuil.
Borakove did not say at what concentrations each drug were found in Ledger’s system or whether or not 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,” she said.
The mystery was actually further complicated when the they added, “We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.”
So, which was it? Did he accidentally take too many drugs causing an overdose that killed him or did he abuse the drugs he was taking and take too many thereby causing his death. You cannot accidentally abuse something.
Either Heath Ledger was taking the drugs in the manner he was supposed to and accidentally forgot he took some or somehow made a mistake in the amount he took or he took far more than he knew he was supposed to. If it was the former that killed him then his death was an accident. If it was the latter that caused his death than he technically killed himself by overdosing on drugs like so many others before him. It is not a small detail to overlook or get wrong.
It seems to me that the medical examiner’s office did not want to take a side on the issue and decided to issue a statement that put them on the fence; something that could go either way. By doing so, however, they have robbed Ledger’s family of the truth. They have left open the possibility that Ledger’s doctors are to blame because he had prescriptions for so many drugs. The truth could simply be that he didn’t take them the way he should have.
The New York City medical examiner’s report was a cop out. They reported on how Ledger died without providing us the information we really want to know. Why did he die? Why did we lose such a promising young star? It is a question we may never have an answer to now. I’m afraid the controversy will only continue to grow and be debated for months and years to come.
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