Tom Petty Died from an Accidental Overdose
Petty. Cornell. Bennington. Cobain. Hendrix. Joplin. Presley. Allman.
Every generation of musicians, as well as Americans of every background has been touched by drug abuse and overdose. Sadly, we began to criminalize drug overuse/abuse and mental illness in the 1980s. Mental health was decentralized, hospitals and facilities that specialized in treating people with mental illness were defunded and many closed. Many of those patients fell through the cracks, became homeless, and turned to illegal drugs. They were left to their own devices, had to self-diagnose and self-medicate. For two generations, now.
Opiates, overprescribed because they were so “chic,” were an “acceptable” alternative, and pharmaceutical companies are only too eager to provide more options for their “markets.” Ironically, these are the same companies lobbying for the re-criminalizing of medical, and recreational use, marijuana. Marijuana, a naturally-occurring substance, in the hands of the public, will cut deeply into their profits, especially in the area of pain management.
Until we treat it as a National, and international, medical emergency, rather than a criminal one, we will continue to see needless, preventable deaths by drug overdose.
R.I.P. Mr. Petty. Again. Your music has always traveled with me and kept me company in some of my darkest hours. You will be missed, by this fan.
Tom Petty Died from an Accidental Overdose
The New York Times reports that Tom Petty’s family has released his cause of death: accidental overdose. America is crippled in an opioid crisis. An opioid is an opiumlike compound that binds to one or more of the three opioid receptors of the body. Painkillers such as morphine and oxycodone are opioids. So is heroin. Mixing opioids with other prescription medication is deadly. Unfortunately, Tom Petty’s death highlights how this epidemic reaches all walks of life. If you or anyone in your family suffers from an opioid addiction, please seek professional help.
Please follow the link to read the newspaper’s article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/arts/music/tom-petty-cause-death-opioid-overdose.html?hpw&rref=arts&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region®ion=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well.
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