Medical examiners announced Friday late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died from an accidental overdose of a "speedball" drug mixture.
According to the coroner, the actor injected a toxic cocktail of heroin, cocaine and amphetamines all in one syringe. Also found in Hoffman's system was Valium, a drug that treats anxiety. (Via Los Angeles Times)
The 'speedball' mixture is to blame for the deaths of several high profile actors over the years, including John Belushi and River Phoenix. According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, it's an exceedingly dangerous combination of drugs. (Via Wikimedia Commons / Kevin Tostado, Flickr / Alan Light)
"You can stack the same drug too close together, or you can start to stack other drugs, one on top of the other. That's how people get into trouble." (Via CNN)
According to The New York Times, Hoffman was found with a needle still in his arm at his Manhattan apartment on February 2nd. The actor reportedly relapsed last year after kicking his drug habit for 23 years. (Via The New York Times)
Recently, Robert Vineberg, a friend of Hoffman’s, was arrested after police found over 300 bags of heroin in his apartment while searching for the source of Hoffman’s drugs. (Via The Wrap)
Vineberg told the New York Post that Hoffman, who was found with 70 bags, had been a hard-core user. “You do the math. That’s a one-week supply.”
The Oscar winner’s death has made ripples across the Hollywood community, even leading a Los Angeles street artist to install a life-sized Oscar statue — shooting heroin.
The artist, who calls himself Plastic Jesus, put the statue on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and told the New York Daily News, “When you live in Hollywood and work in the industry, you realize how endemic drug use really is… But it’s only when you have a high profile death like Philip Seymour Hoffman or Whitney Houston that it hits the news.”
Almost a month removed from the Hoffman's death, police are still searching for the actor's drug dealers.
