Did Michael Jackson OD on prescription drugs?

June 25, 9:23 PMSF Health News ExaminerJefferson Adams

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Pop singer Michael Jackson has been pronounced dead, according to
the LA Times. In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson
is shown at a press conference in London. AP Photo/Joel Ryan, file.

Huffington Post has an interesting video post in which they describe the reaction of Brian Oxman, spokesman and attorney for the Jackson family, to the tragic news of Michael Jackson's death on CNN.

Oxman said he was "stunned" and that he wept along with the Jackson family on learning of Michael's death. He also mentioned that the people around Michael were "enabling him" and that he "warned" the family that Michael may have been abusing prescription drugs.

Speaking to Oxman, Geraldo Rivera said "we all knew that Michael Jackson suffered an addiction to pain killers and other opiates and sedatives." Rivera went on to make a bold prediction that the autopsy will reveal that Jackson was indeed abusing prescription drugs, and that he likely OD'd or suffered some adverse reaction.

So, what's the bottom line? Were people around Michael enabling the use of prescription drugs? Was it part of efforts to get him ready to meet his tour obligations? No answers just yet, but signs, and lots of interesting questions emerging. Stay tuned...

**Previous story begins below**

What killed the King of Pop?

The death of legendary singer Michael Jackson has friends, fans and loved ones wondering what could have killed the legendary King of Pop, who was just 50 years old and, despite rumors to the contrary, reportedly healthy and energetic as he prepared to launch a worldwide comeback tour.

Questions had been raised about Jackson's health when his tour was announced in March. Promoters at the time said that Jackson had undergone a undergone a four-hour medical examination as part of his preparations for the tour.

Jackson's brother, Jermaine, issued a statement to reporters this afternoon in which he said that the cause of Jackson's death was believed to be cardiac arrest, but that the official cause remains unlisted pending autopsy results.

He said that Jackson's personal physician had attempted to revive the star after he collapsed sometime after noon at this rented Holmby Hills home.

A 911 call was placed, and paramedics arrived at about 12:30 p.m., and began resuscitation attempts. They continued resuscitation efforts as they transported Jackson to nearby UCLA Medical Center, where they arrived at 1:14 p.m.  

At the hospital, a team of emergency room and cardiac physicians continued resuscitation efforts for about another hour to no avail. Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.pm. His body has been taken to the L.A. County coroner by helicopter.

Meanwhile, as friends and family await the autopsy results that will explain just what took the life of Michael Jackson, his fans continue to mourn one of the greatest entertainers of all time, the man the world knew simply as 'The King of Pop.'