Deadly Additive Drug Effects Having already been nominated for an Academy Award for the 2005 movie Brokeback Mountain, actor Heath Ledger was receiving advance critical acclaim for his portrayal of “The Joker” in the 2008 movie The Dark Knight. But in January of 2008, Ledger died from an accidental overdose in his New York apartment. In the weeks before his death, Ledger had complained about severe sleeping difficulties. The medical examination found multiple prescription drugs in his body, including two kinds of narcotic painkillers, two kinds of antianxiety drugs, and two kinds of sleeping medications. None of the legally prescribed medications had been taken in excess. Even so, the combination produced a lethal additive drug effect, depressing his brain’s vital life functions to the point that respiratory failure occurred. Heath Ledger was 28.

AP Photo/Dima Gavrysh, File