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Tom Petty died of accidental drug overdose, says family Tom Petty family hope guitarist's death will raise awareness of opioid crisis
(1 day later)
Musician’s wife and daughter say a fractured hip led to ‘over use of medication’ and voice hope report will contribute to opioid discussionMusician’s wife and daughter say a fractured hip led to ‘over use of medication’ and voice hope report will contribute to opioid discussion
Sam Levin and agenciesSam Levin and agencies
Sat 20 Jan 2018 10.41 GMT Sun 21 Jan 2018 15.47 GMT
First published on Sat 20 Jan 2018 00.57 GMTFirst published on Sat 20 Jan 2018 00.57 GMT
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Tom Petty’s family said his death last year was due to an accidental drug overdose. The family of rock star Tom Petty have said they hope his death from a drug overdose might spark new debate about America’s “opioid crisis” and that by being transparent, lives can be saved in the future.
His wife and daughter released the results of Petty’s autopsy via a statement on his Facebook page on Friday night. Petty died at the age of 66 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Malibu home in October. A coroner’s report has now revealed that Petty died of an accidental drug overdose, with a mix of prescription painkillers, sedatives and an antidepressant being found in his system.
Dana and Adria Petty said they got the results from the coroner’s office, saying the overdose was caused due to a variety of medications. At the same time Petty’s wife and daughter, Dana and Adria, posted more personal details on Facebook in the hope it could prevent deaths in the future.
They said Petty had emphysema, a fractured hip and knee problems that caused him pain, but that he was still committed to touring. On the day he died, his hip had graduated to a “full on break”, the statement said, adding that they believed “the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication”. “We hope in some way this report can save lives,” they wrote. “Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency or deadly nature of these medications.”
“As a family we recognize this report may spark a further discussion on the opioid crisis and we feel that is a healthy and necessary discussion and we hope in some way this report can save lives,” the statement continued. “Many people who overdose begin with a legitimate injury or simply do not understand the potency and deadly nature of these medications.” Petty’s is the latest high-profile death involving painkillers. Two years ago Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller substantially stronger than heroin. They are names on a tragic celebrity list which includes Elvis in 1977 and Heath Ledger in 2008.
Petty had wrapped up a tour a few days before he died in October at age 66. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the US is “in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic”. It said 42,000 people were killed in 2016 by opioids, which can include heroin, more than any other year on record. Prescription opioids were involved in 40% of those deaths.
Petty had previously suggested that the 40th anniversary tour could be his last, telling Rolling Stone in an interview: “We’re all on the backside of our 60s. I have a granddaughter now I’d like to see as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road. This tour will take me away for four months. With a little kid, that’s a lot of time.” A statement from the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said Petty died from “multisystem organ failure due to resuscitated cardiopulmonary arrest due to mixed drug toxicity”. Many of the substances found in his system occur in prescription drugs, a spokesman said.
A Petty biography published in 2015 revealed that the singer had a heroin addiction in the 1990s. He also had depression. Petty’s family said they knew before the coroner’s report that he had been prescribed various pain medications, including fentanyl patches.
The singer-songwriter and guitarist, who sold more than 80m records worldwide, soared to fame in the 1970s with his band the Heartbreakers. “Unfortunately Tom’s body suffered from many serious ailments including emphysema, knee problems and most significantly a fractured hip.
When announcing his death last year, his family said he died peacefully surrounded by his friends, family and bandmates. He had been found unconscious in his Malibu home and was rushed to a hospital. “Despite this painful injury he insisted on keeping his commitment to his fans and he toured for 53 dates with a fractured hip and, as he did, it worsened to a more serious injury.”
The family’s statement on Friday added: “On a positive note we now know for certain he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted after doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40 plus year career. He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed.” They said on the day he died Petty was informed his hip had become a full on break. “It is our feeling that the pain was simply unbearable and was the cause for his over use of medication.”
The growth in deaths from painkiller overdoses is particularly acute in the US. But alarm bells are also ringing in the UK. In the first eight months of last year at least 60 drugs deaths were linked to fentanyl, according to the National Crime Agency.
Petty’s family said there may now be further debate on “the opioid crisis and we feel that it is a healthy and necessary discussion”.
A news report about the need for further debate was retweeted by Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser and counsellor to Donald Trump.
Petty had performed with his band the Heartbreakers since 1976. After his death Bruce Springsteen said: “He was just a lovely guy who loved rock’n’roll and came up the hard way.”
His hits included American Girl, Don’t Come Around Here No More, Mary Jane’s Last Dance and Free Fallin’. He and his band sold more than 80m records and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Petty had previously suggested that the tour could be his last, telling Rolling Stone in an interview: “We’re all on the backside of our 60s. I have a granddaughter now I’d like to see as much as I can. I don’t want to spend my life on the road. This tour will take me away for four months. With a little kid, that’s a lot of time.”
His family said they now knew for certain that “he went painlessly and beautifully exhausted doing what he loved the most, for one last time, performing live with his unmatchable rock band for his loyal fans on the biggest tour of his 40 plus year career. He was extremely proud of that achievement in the days before he passed.”
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