Ledger OD accidental? Yes and no

Here is what the NYC medical examiner says:

“We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications,” the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement.

Is it accidental in the sense Ledger apparently wasn’t committing instant suicide? Yes.

But, anybody taking a mix of OxyContin, Lortab/Hycodan, Xanax, Valium and other benzos such as Restoril knows full well they’re playing with fire, and could in fact be seen as committing slow suicide.

So, let’s stop the hagiography. Addicts’ deaths are tragic in the sense of a wasted life, and in the sense of their refusing to either get or follow through on help, but they’re not tragic in the sense of irreparable losses to the world of arts.