BC’s top doc weighs in as coroner says fentanyl was a factor in Tom Petty’s death

NEW YORK, NY. (NEWS 1130) – Tom Petty’s family says his death last year was due to an accidental drug overdose.

His wife and daughter released the results of Petty’s autopsy via a statement on his Facebook page Friday night. Dana and Adria Petty say they got the results from the coroner’s office earlier in the day that the overdose was caused due to a variety of medications.

The statement was posted moments before the Los Angeles coroner’s office issued its official findings, which confirmed that Petty had a variety of medications, including fentanyl and oxycodone in his system.

They say Petty suffered from emphysema, a fractured hip and knee problems that caused him pain but he was still committed to touring.

He had just wrapped up a tour a few days before he died in October at age 66.

BC’s top doctor weighs in

The coroner’s report on Petty’s death highlights how even taking prescribed opioids can put you at risk of an overdose. Many overdose deaths in BC can be attributed to taking medication.

A recent BC coroner’s report says an average of 60 British Columbians die every year taking opioids they’re doctor prescribed to them.

“It’s a very potent drug in very small amounts. In BC we have looked at people who have died in association with a prescribed opioid and over a 10-year period we looked through the coroner’s charts and records and we had about 70 to 75 overdose deaths every year associated with prescription opioids, oxycodone, codeine, methadone, etc. And usually in conjunction with some other drug and none of the drugs were, in themselves, in excess amounts but it looked as if in combination and perhaps with some alcohol, you can certainly die in your sleep,” says provincial medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.

“You have to be really cautious, particularly, if you’re taking one drug and another drug — like a muscle relaxant or an anti-anxiety drug, or even alcohol — you can overdose from them.”

The BC government declared the opioid crisis in this province a public health emergency back in April of 2016, however records are still being set for the number of overdose deaths in the province.

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