Singer Whitney Houston apparently drowned in her bath after ingesting a cocktail of prescription sedatives – the latest in a string of accidental celebrity overdoses on legal pills, says the New York Daily News. An autopsy was performed Sunday, but officials may not have definitive answers until drug tests are completed in several weeks. Witnesses say Houston seems to have slipped beneath the water’s surface in a drug stupor before the Grammy awards in Los Angeles.
Cops found a pharmacy’s worth of sedatives and anti-anxiety medications in her hotel room, including Valium, Xanax, Lorazepam, and another sleeping pill, said a law enforcement official quoted by Radaronline.com. From Michael Jackson to Heath Ledger to Anna Nicole Smith to Brittany Murphy to Corey Haim, prescription drugs have claimed more high-profile lives in recent years than hard drugs like heroin or cocaine. The Centers for Disease Control say overdoses of prescription pain meds are up 90 poercent since 1999 and accidental ODs now kill more Americans than car crashes. When used alone, Valium, Xanax, or Lorazepam can cause drowsiness and impaired motor function. When combined, they can easily cause death.