M.E. Calls Ledger Death "Accident"
The medical examiner has ruled that Heath Ledger's death is an "accident," resulting from the "abuse of prescription medications."
Reader Comments
(Page 12 of 12) Previous 15 Comments166. My computer glitched. That last sentence should read "We still don't know what really happened because none of us were there."
Posted at 7:31PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Bipolarsufferer
167. So true No.89 I'm glad somebody mentioned it.
Posted at 8:17PM on Feb 6th 2008 by judith levine
168. I'M A RECOVERING ADDICT . . . IT'S HARD AS HELL TO STAY CLEAN, BUT WORTH IT. MANY ADDICTS NEVER GET CLEAN . . . I PRAY FOR THEM. IT IS VERY HARD TO HAVE THE "WANT" TO GET CLEAN. THIS IS A CUNNING, BAFFLING AND VERY POWERFUL DISEASE.
I DON'T HAVE PITY FOR HEATH, HOWEVER, I TRULY UNDERSTAND WHERE HE WAS AND HOW HARD IT IS TO ESCAPE. TRULY DIFFICULT. LOVE
Posted at 4:04PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Hobart
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So glad I saw your post...I too am in recovery and it IS truly HARD AS HELL TO STAY CLEAN. If I had unlimited money, I'd probably STILL be on drugs. Prayers to all the people trying to stay clean.
Posted at 7:59PM on Feb 6th 2008 by Peace in the Valley
169. Just let him rest & his family greive --- in peace!!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 8:09PM on Feb 6th 2008 by kkr77c
170. 88. Please stop this! That you people could be so judgmental is beyond belief. This man's death was a tragic accident. Scripts are given out every day that result in deaths. Pharmacists should run cross checks on their computers to make sure that the patient has not been over prescribed by either one or more physicians, and that the patient has been advised of the dangers of cross-medicating or over-medicating. Those warning labels can be confusing, and it's easy to forget how many pills one takes when you've taken one too many. The cross-med side effects can impair judgment big time.
If you take more than 1 pill during any prescribed time frame, you are abusing that med!
This was a highly respected actor whose work will be remembered by many. May he rest in peace.
Posted at 11:42AM on Feb 6th 2008 by georges
could not have said it better
Posted at 10:44PM on Feb 6th 2008 by fed up
171. debee_bambino-
In my profession, I have worked many suicide crime scenes where family members swear up & down that their loved one "would never ever hurt themselves." However, in EVERY case, the physical evidence shows otherwise!
Hate to rain on your parade but you don't know the truth either.
Posted at 10:04AM on Feb 7th 2008 by Jeff
172. Morons, suiciders take all the meds, not a couple from the top of each bottle. That is why it has been ruled an accident. I guess it's easier for uneducated people to trash then to learn. It's not your fault your idiots.
Posted at 6:07PM on Feb 7th 2008 by Canada
173. To all those who say they have no sympathy posting on this site and say they don't care about Ledger dying, then WTF are you doing reading about him? Get your stories straight.
Posted at 6:09PM on Feb 7th 2008 by Canada
174. Acute intoxication means a one time dose that was too much, it is the opposite of chronic abuse of drugs.
There was no abuse of the meds which is plain when the cause of death is "acute intoxication"
Learn before you speak.
Posted at 6:13PM on Feb 7th 2008 by Lee
175. Good point Canada, the police commish said the day Heath died that the bottles were all full and in tact ie) not stewn around. If he wanted to die, he could have easily taken all of them. BTW, leaving no note, as if!!!
Posted at 6:18PM on Feb 7th 2008 by Lias
176. Heath's death and its cause has really just filled me with sadness. What a waste! The fact that his death could have been prevented with correct advice and care from those prescribing medications makes it all the more hard to bare,
The media really now needs to let this man rest in peace, especially since he found dealing with the media so hard while he was alive.
Heath, you will be missed!
Posted at 7:13PM on Feb 7th 2008 by dawn
177. Skye, yes, you know what your limits are and you know that meds can't be mixed. Too many people still work on the theory that if some is good then more is better. You are making the assumption that Heath was educated about the effects of these meds and what could be mixed and what couldn't. We don't know that. So the ME errs on the side of caution. It is accidental overdose unless it can be proven without a doubt that he intended to commit suicide. This is doubly important if he had any insurance policies since many will not pay out in case of suicide.
Always remember, Never ascribe to malice what can easily be explained by stupidity. I'm not saying that Heath was stupid merely that the evidence implies that he made a mistake.
Posted at 6:06PM on Feb 11th 2008 by Bipolarsufferer
