Yes, it’s no secret (especially now!) he had received pain medication in the past. Heck, my household still has several vicodin from a couple years ago (hmm… might be time to toss it, I think it’s expired) and some codeine leftover from my from my dental work last year. If my spouse or I drop dead tomorrow there will be “opiates found in the household”. I’m sure someone would be along shortly thereafter to portray us as drug fiends or something. :rolleyes:
There are a few alternatives here:
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Prince died with no painkillers in his system, regardless of what may or may not have been present in the house at the time.
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Prince died with painkillers in his system, but they did not cause his death.
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Prince died with painkillers in his system and they contributed to his death but were not the entirety of the cause.
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Prince died with painkillers in his system and they caused his death.
Possible option #5, suicide, was already largely ruled out by the coroner. I’m guessing that means there wasn’t anything like a large number of undigested pills in his stomach or something else equally obvious.
Now, even if #3 or #4 are the cause of death, that could mean a bad reaction to the medication, interaction between two (or more) different pharmaceuticals, or an overdose. An overdose which could be accidental and not a symptom of abuse.
If it DOES turn out to be an overdose I’m going to assume it was accidental until proven otherwise, and that his family uses it to highlight the dangers of legal, prescription medications used carelessly, to excess, or whatever. Or a discussion of better ways to manage chronic pain, if that’s what he was using it for.
While it is looking more likely he did have pharmaceuticals in his system at the time of his death I’m still waiting for the official coroner’s report. If he had a legitimate reason for painkillers he could have a therapeutic amount in his system and still have died of something else.
There will still be people who claim he was a drug abuser (contrary to, apparently, everything and everyone else in his life) or there’s a government cover-up or some such. Heck, there will probably be someone claiming he is now rooming with Elvis Presley.
Or, yes, there is a possibility he had started abusing painkillers and managed to keep it hidden from family and friends, but I would prefer it if people didn’t make that the first assumption. I’d like to see some proof beyond “prescription for X”.
