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authorities suggested he likely had been dead for one to two hours by the time they arrived at the scene. The Aftermath of Heath Ledger’s Death In February of 2008, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York released a statement. Based on the initial autopsy and toxicological analysis of Ledger’s body, it became clear to investigators that he suffered from acute intoxication as a result of several drugs, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine. They ruled his death an accident “resulting from the abuse of prescribed medications.” It appeared to authorities that Ledger may have been going to several different doctors for various prescriptions, as a single doctor would be unlikely to prescribe all of these medications to be taken at the same time. The medications Ledger had been taking could have been prescribed for a variety of reasons, including chronic pain, anxiety, or insomnia. But a doctor would not necessarily prescribe benzodiazepines like diazepam and alprazolam to a patient who was already taking opioids like oxycodone or hydrocodone. In recent years, it has become nearly impossible to escape stories of opioid addiction and dependency . The story of Heath Ledger’s death was a shock to the nation when it happened, but death resulting from opioid overdose persists. His story also shows that when you are dealing with an opioid- related overdose, every second matters. Heath Ledger’s story is just one example of the many deaths associated with prescription drug abuse in the spotlight. Media cover the rising effects of opioid abuse, especially as first responders and ER doctors step in more often to handle these cases.

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How First Responders and ER Doctors Save Lives and Educate