Overdose | Music Vixen Blog

Drug Czar Says Jackson’s Death a Wake up Call

Published July 9th, 2009 by Wendy

photo credit: Lintilla

The U.S. government’s drug czar says that Michael Jackson’s death should be a wake-up call to the nation about the abuse of prescription drugs, according to an Associated Press report.

Gil Kerlikowske, chief of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told the hosts of CBS’ “The Early Show” that more people are dying in America from drug overdoses than from gunshot wounds. He further said that the key to combating prescription drug abuse begins with parents, who must warn their kids of the dangers of using these drugs improperly.

Kerlikowske would not comment specifically on the Jackson case while the investigation into the pop star’s death is still pending, but said it most likely represents a warning about drug abuse that Americans must heed.

Investigators looking into the cause of Jackson’s death have zeroed in on drugs that were given to the musician to fight his insomnia.

"yes your right about that...let's not judge and speculate things until autopsy has been done. No one will ever want to kill himself because of drugs...."

Lee Cruz

7 Comments

Drugs, Overdose May Be Cause of Michael Jackson Death

Published June 26th, 2009 by Wendy

ABOVE: “Have You Seen My Childhood?” by Michael Jackson. Hours after the King of Pop’s untimely death, speculation mounts that Jackson’s very strange, very public life may have come to a sudden end due to drug-induced cardiac arrest. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed later today.

According to a report on Popeater.com, drugs are likely to blame for the untimely death of Michael Jackson.

“I can only tell you that this is something that was not unexpected,” the Web site quoted Jackson family spokesperson Brian Oxman as saying Thursday night. Oxman further said that the family had been trying for months and months to get Michael help, but that he was surrounded by enablers, not unlike the late Anna Nicole Smith.

Popeater also noted a report in Britain’s The Sun that Jackson had injected himself with Demerol, a drug similar to Morphine, minutes before his cardiac arrest. “Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing,” The Sun’s source was quoted as saying. “His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped,”

The official cause of Jackson’s death won’t be known until an autopsy has been performed. As of now, the death is blamed on cardiac arrest.

"[...] recalled Fentanyl Drug Patch may have been a factor in the fatal, accidental overdose of ex-Wilco guitarist Jay Walter Bennett. [...]"

Post Product Recall Fallout | ReviewSomething.com

1 Comment

Wilco Guitarist Killed by Overdose. Fentanyl Patch Recall a Possible Factor.

Published June 24th, 2009 by Karen

ABOVE: Bennett, Tweedy and Wilco perform “California Stars.” Lyrics by Woody Guthrie.

Following weeks of speculation, Illinois coroners concluded their investigation and announced on Tuesday that ex-Wilco guitarist Jay Walter Bennett, 45, died of a drug overdose.

AP reported the findings, stating that the Champaign County coroner found that Bennett had overdosed on fentanyl, a pain killer often packaged as a patch and normally used in the treatment of chronic pain.

Bennett was due to undergo hip-replacement surgery, and had written openly about his ongoing pain in his final MySpace blog entry. Several varieties of fentanyl patches had been recalled last year due to safety issues-namely, a leak in the patch that increases the risk of accidental overdose.

Authorities have not confirmed that the defective patches were a factor in Bennett’s death, which has been ruled accidental.

Bennett was with Wilco from 1994 to 2001, but exited due to his strained relationship with bandleader Jeff Tweedy. The disintegration of their partnership is captured in the 2002 documentary I am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Bennett passed away May 24, 2009. Earlier that month, Bennett’s hip-replacement surgery had reportedly been denied by his insurer. Shortly thereafter, Bennett filed a suit against Tweedy for breach of contract regarding his split from Wilco.

Often working as a studio musician with the likes of Sheryl Crow and Billy Joe Shaver, Bennett’s most recent solo album was 2008’s Whatever Happened I Apologize, currently available as a free download from Rock Proper Records.