Michael K. Williams died of an accidental overdose, medical examiner determines

[AZProgressive]

(CNN) Actor Michael K. Williams died from "acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine," the New York City Medical Examiner's Officer has determined.

His death was deemed to be accidental in nature, a spokesperson for the office said in a statement on Friday.

Williams was found dead in his New York City apartment earlier this month.

In a 2017 interview with the New York Times, Williams addressed his struggles with substance abuse.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/09/24/entertainment/michael-k-williams-cause-of-death/index.html

[Jilly_in_VA]

1. Aren't most overdoses accidental?

I mean, nobody sets out to OD...unless they leave a suicide note behind. Geez.

[rickyhall]

2. Sounds better than stupidity, guess.

[NurseJackie]

9. Unless a enemy, rival, ex was involved in his little accident...

... are there any statistics on how many suicides do not leave a "goodbye world" note?

[bigtree]

3. fentanyl

...taking out legends, along with the rest of the unfortunate addicts.

[hibbing]

4. What a combination

Sad, I enjoyed his work. That is some serious mix of stuff. Can't imagine what kind of "high" that is.

Peace

[Sympthsical]

5. It's pretty common

Cocaine and heroin together are called a speedball.

People who do it say it can prevent or at least mitigate the "down" of heroin you feel as the effects wear off and the body starts feeling withdrawal.

I have zero experience with this sort of thing personally, but speedballs have been around for a long time.

[hibbing]

6. Yeah, I know of that it is the other stuff too

Speedball took out Belushi.

Peace

[Sympthsical]

7. I keep wondering if people know they're getting the fentanyl

Like, do they expect there to be some in it, and they end up getting way too much?

I am unfamiliar with heroin buying expectations.

[happybird]

10. I'm in recovery but still know some who use

They know the fentanyl is almost guaranteed to be in there. They like it because it’s stronger.

Heroin and cocaine aren’t what they used to be- much weaker and cut with all sorts of strange things.

It really is Russian roulette these days. So thankful I got out before fentanyl hit the scene (other than Rx).

Edit to add: The people who don’t expect fentanyl to be in their dope are the ones who take pills. They don’t realize their Percocet and Oxys are knock-offs/counterfeit.

[Sympthsical]

14. I'm glad to hear things are going well for you!

I know it isn't remotely easy.

Thanks for the info. That clarifies things quite a bit. I just didn't know if the fentanyl was a bug or a feature, since so many ODs result from it. Your post and the one below are a good explanation.

[localroger]

12. The most dangerous thing about an H addiction

...not knowing the potency of what you're getting. Especially if you're hard addicted and your normal dose is too close to a toxic dose, one day you get new product 2x or 3x as potent as what you are used to and bam, overdose. This is one reason prescription pill abuse is much safer, because doses are controlled by the manufacturer. A lot of H deaths are pill addicts who lost their supply and had to switch to H, and they aren't careful enough with the variable street product.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

13. All true ... but now there are even counterfeit pills too

Looks like a perc or vike or roxy, but it's really fentanyl.

IIRC Prince died from fake vicodin-looking pills that were really fentanyl.

And a big problem with fentanyl is that quantities that can kill someone are physically really, really small, and you need very specialized equipment to control dosages ... but these people peddling the drugs don't have that equipment.

[Sympthsical]

15. That makes quite a bit of sense

I'd also read an article about Harris Wittels not too long ago, where he went to rehab. It said after rehab can be dangerous, because the body isn't used to the same dosage anymore, so the same dose you usually take can kill you. They think that's what happened with him.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

24. That absolutely happens, I know of two people died that way ... first time they used again after

rehab/some period of recovery ... nighty-night.

[RobinA]

21. It Almost Sounds

from what you are saying that if there were a guaranteed safe source of this drug many, if not most, dare I say almost all of these overdose deaths would stop.

I wonder why no one else has thought of this? Because if they had, surely it would be criminal to allow this problem to continue.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

25. They have ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7101085.stm

[CatWoman]

17. isn't that what killed John Belushi?

[kysrsoze]

8. He and many others would be alive if not for Fentanyl.

There are now tests to ensure your cocaine isn’t laced with Fentanyl. You’re playing Russian roulette every time you do coke. It’s a fucked up world.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

11. It's much more likely the fentanyl was in the bag of heroin

It's way cheaper than actual heroin so they mix it in so they can use less of the more expensive ingredient (or none of it).

Putting fentanyl in cocaine makes no sense from the dealers perspective ... the authorities don't trip out when heroin users OD (plus a heroin user is obviously going to have tolerance to opioids), but you start putting out coke on the streets laced with fentanyl you're gonna kill all kinds of people, and it'll raise huge red flags.

I doubt finding fentanyl in cocaine is common.

Edit: Although as we see from another story today, it apparently does happen. And like I say, it kills people right and left and raises major flags. Really, really dumb for a dealer to mix these two drugs.

[happybird]

20. I know several people who have

popped for fentanyl or opiates on drug tests and they only do cocaine. Lots of ex junkies up here won’t willing or knowingly touch that shit, but they are testing positive for it from smoking crack. WVA panhandle.

[RobinA]

22. So Why Not

straight Fentanyl? It would be cheaper and less dangerous because you would know what you were taking.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

23. For one reason, because fentanyl is a shitty drug in the opioid continuum

Aside from perhaps someone in the throes of withdrawal who just 'needs a hit of something/anything', most people don't want straight fentanyl.

And the problem isn't so much 'what your taking' as it is not knowing how much is in the product.

Fentanyl dosages are measured in micrograms, whereas everything else is in milligrams.

I.E. Just because you know you're 'getting fentanyl' wouldn't make it any safer.

Any fentanyl-containing product is going to be a huge % 'filler' and a tiny % 'drug'. The problem comes in with the ratios here, and the fact that not many have the proper equipment to measure the proper ratios.

That's the reason for the OD's. That, or people thinking they're buying cocaine and it also has fentanyl in it, that kind of thing.

Perhaps this photo of lethal dosages of each will illustrate what I mean ...

[Bucky]

16. I only knew him from Boardwalk and Community

But he just dominated his scenes with his intensity and talent. I've known other artists like that... so much energy they have to slow down the world to take it all in.

It's heartbreaking. Such a huge loss

[CatWoman]

18. you should do yourself a favor and watch The Wire

[Bucky]

19. Yuck no

I dislike crime shows. I'm sure he was wonderful in it. But not my cup of tea

[Hugh_Lebowski]

26. Boardwalk Empire is not a crime show?

Could've fooled me

[Bucky]

27. I only watched a couple of seasons. I liked the historical aspects

But eventually quit watching cause it just seemed to get more cruel and less fun as it went along. It was like the Sopranos with spats & tommy guns. So yeah, it definitely confirmed my bias against crime shoes.