Released today: "Mr Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine," city Chief Medical Examiner Charles Hirsch said in a statement.
I'm probably going to get crowned for this post again, but, while I hate to say I told you so...
There is certainly nothing more noble or honourable than dying naked and alone from a drug overdose.
Don't blame the doctors, don't blame pharmaceutical companies.. he f*cked up, and no one should admire that.
FYI:
Oxycodone - has similar effects to morphine and heroin and appeals to the same abuse community,
Hydrocodone - is an orally active narcotic analgesic and antitussive. Marketed as Vicodin
Diazepam is a benzodiazepine derivative drug which possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative, skeletal muscle relaxant and amnestic properties. It is commonly used for treating anxiety, insomnia, seizures, alcohol withdrawal, and muscle spasms.
Temazepam is a particularily euphoric benzodiazepine, and along with other hypnotic benzodiazepines, particularly flunitrazepam, nitrazepam, and nimetazepam, it is considered to have the highest abuse potential of all benzodiazepines.
Alprazolam, also known under the trade names Xanax and Niravam, is a short-acting drug of the benzodiazepine class used to treat moderate to severe anxiety disorders, panic attacks, and as an adjunctive treatment for anxiety associated with clinical depression.
My Trusted MOGs
Also, he was cavorting with that witch. If it were only 1692 we could burn Mary-Kate too.
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This brings me to one of my biggest annoyances - the fact that deadly pharmaceuticals are available and legal, yet I'm not allowed to smoke a joint. BACK ASSWARDS!
It's a shame for Heath, but you have a very good point Edmund. Hahaha
My Trusted MOGs
What a mess
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Thanks for the pharmcological (or in his case ill-logical) lesson. I don't know how any doctor could prescribe this many different drugs, no matter his anxiety level.
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..really, my anger over such a waste isn't so much directed at Mr. Ledger, as it is at how I think it's important to give a message to young people that whether drug abuse is prescription or street drugs - it's nothing to emulate, it's not "cool", and certainly, dying from it is just stupid. No lionization of Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger.. and take a look around, there are plenty who will shower them postumously with compassion and anger directed at everyone but them.. and if there is a sad, misunderstood kid out there who gets a message that, "they'll appreciate you after your gone" - I for one want to send a message - no we won't - we'll talk about how stupid you were. Work through it, ask for help - that I'll admire.
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I have a bizarre tendency to glamorize drug use; I will admit it here. Quite possibly (perhaps probably) it comes from growing up during the 90s when all those musicians I admired were so heavy into it all. To me, it seemed like what the "cool" people did. Luckily, my parents raised me in a very open environment where the dangers of substance abuse were discussed at an early age. It still didn't stop me from experimenting HEAVILY (forget all the excuses for why) but I went into it knowing that I was playing with fire and knowing that I should feel guilty and knowing that I would be a disappointment to my family. I can't get inside other addicts' heads, but I would guess that most of us have those feelings in the beginning stages of drug abuse. The key is that someone gets to you before you become numb to all those initial feelings...the warped mind of an addict is a strange place. It's tough to describe to anyone who hasn't actually been deep in the throes of it.
The problem with pharmaceuticals is that false sense of safety; the fact that a doctor prescribes them. You have people who are basically in the same spot as any street drug user, but they don't feel that what they're doing is nearly as wrong because it's legal. Same thing goes for alcoholics.
So basically my point is that I agree with you. Blaming anyone other than the addict sends the wrong message, especially to kids. While I do empathize with people who have gotten themselves into that position, I know that there are very few of them that didn't make that decision themselves.
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.thanks for the thoughts, kat, it's an odd thing, on the one hand, I've been in those down and depressed states before where you think there's no where to go.. and thinking black thoughts.. though thankfully never accompanied by dependancy issues.. but sometimes I think that our media either glamourizes or at leasts provides too much attention to the sad and pathetic (can you say Brittney?).. so that others, who are in one of those dark and black places, either from depression or dependancy issues, may see something positive, in a twisted way, about hurting themselves.. and I think if we reduce the press we give to these situations, and I'd include in that, school shootings etc., and made it very clear in the media that when we do report, we shouldn't be too sympathetic to stupid acts.. well, that might make others think twice.
Guess that's why I've been on the bandwagon to celebrate positive accomplishment and ignore the negative..