Posted on 09/18/2004 7:57:07 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Rick James Had Nine Different Drugs In His System When He Died
Coroner detects cocaine, meth and prescription drugs.
by Alyssa Rashbaum
Rick James (file)
Rick James had nine different drugs in his system when he died in August, including cocaine and methamphetamine, according to a toxicology report.
The coroner's findings, released Thursday, noted that prescription medications for anxiety,pain relief and heart failure, including Valium and Vicodin, were found in his body as well, according to Reuters.
None of the drugs or drug combinations, however "were found to be at levels that were life-threatening in and of themselves," the report said. Though the cause of death was determined by the report to be a heart attack and ruled accidental, it added that the drugs in James' system may have led to the heart failure.
"He didn't die of a drug overdose," coroner's spokesman David Campbell told The New York Times.
When an autopsy performed on James in early August failed to determine the cause of death, toxicology tests were ordered. A spokesperson at the coroner's office said they sought a further investigation, since James had not seen his physician in more than six weeks and there was "concern about the past history of substance abuse" (see "Cause Of Rick James' Death Still Uncertain After Autopsy").
James, who passed away at age 56 on August 6 (see "Funk Legend Rick James Found Dead"), had suffered from diabetes and had a stroke in 1998 after a blood vessel broke in the back of his neck during a performance in Denver. The singer had also battled drug addiction.
This report is provided by MTV News
His medicine cabinet looked like my kids' candy bag after Trick or Treat on Halloween!
LOL!
God bless Rick. I'm sure he went out the way he wanted to.
The wording in this is insane. 9 different illegal drugs in his system and he didn't OD? Right. I have some beach front property for sale in Pensacola if interested for a good price.
no way in heck did this guy die from an overdose. he never did drugs. i bet there is a right wing conspiracy behind this all. dan blather must investigate.
Soros must be in mourning.
And the Hollyweird crowd keep glorifying this crap.
Er - coke and meth in ANY amounts are life-threatening for a 56 year old heart - and this is coming from a anti-WODder.
Nine different drugs? Holy God!
Agreed. The words from the coroner were just total b.s.,9 different kinds of drugs...and nah..not an OD.
How very sad.
In Hollywood this is considered as dying of natural causes.
It's supa-freaky....Yow!!
Yes that's quite a shocker all right. I prefer a much slower but better tasting poison. "Cheesecake".
SUPAH FREAKYYYY!!
Cocaine's a hell of a drug.
methinks this article was written by someone hoping for a position within seeBS
I guess this kind of negates the title of this thread, doesn't it?
I'M DRUG ABUSE, BIATCH !
Apologies to Dave Chapelle..
Well,I am sorry the man died. But, it was a self inflicted wound. I have no tears for him. He did it to himself.
I knew someone would say it.
Uh..did you mean Colorado? I would LOVE to get a good price on beach front property in Pensacola..the beach was breathtaking last time we were there.
Wow!
He certainly celebrated diversity
So what did he die from?
only 9?
He must have been listening to the White Album.
I blame Bush. :-)
These drugs were indicitive of a self-destructive event, not recreation. Sounds like an OD suicide to me, despite the laughable coroner report.
From what I've heard about Rick James' partying lifestyle, it sounds like a typical Saturday night for the guy.
While 9 different drugs might sound like a suicide attempt, Rick would probably just have looked at it as 'a good mix'. Until the heart attack, of course. I'm sure there are thousands of living, breathing people who would show up with 9 different drugs in their system after a night of rockstar partying. They don't specify the concentrations of the drugs in the article.
After having marvelled at the lack of critical reading or thinking skills of posters at DU for a half-hour, I was saddened to see this thread's headline at good 'ol FR, because, while the drugs were doubtlessly a contributing factor in his death, it's plain that it was NOT an overdose. Rick was no stranger to drugs, and I'm sure he had a pretty good idea of his OD limits. He did not, however, have a good idea of his heart's limits.
'Cocaine is a hell of a drug'
HAHA, yeah, like it wasn't the bullet that killed him, it was the loss of blood.
Wow really, you've got some wild kids!!!!
That was some years ago, but yeah! Think dentist's bill.
Is he aware that he's dead yet? Someone should tell him.
And John Belushi died of "natural causes."
Rick James used drugs?
It doesn't exist today.
An equal opportunity drug abuser.
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