Whitney Houston drowned with cocaine in system: coroner

Skooter reporting 03/23/12

A Los Angeles coroner’s spokesman said Thursday that pop diva Whitney Houston died of accidental drowning due to the effects of cocaine use and heart disease. Houston, 48, who spent years fighting drug addiction including cocaine, was found dead in February 12 in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards.

An autopsy was performed on Houston revealed that the cause of death was accidental drowning with atherosclerotic (hardening of the arteries) heart disease and cocaine as contributing factors, Los Angeles County Coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey said.

A toxicology tests also revealed the following: marijuana, an anti-anxiety medication, a muscle relaxant and an anti-histaminic in Houston’s system. These drugs have not contributed to her death, there was no trauma or foul play found. Within a couple of weeks, a final report is to be made public.

Patricia Houston, the pop superstar’s manager and sister-in-law said in a statement Thursday that they are saddened to learn of the toxicology report, but they are glad that the case is close. The pop star worst days of drug abuse were now behind her, Patricia Houston told Oprah Winfrey in an interview this month. In the interview she told Oprah Winfrey that Whitney was found face down and naked in the bathtub and that her staff tried to revive her but to no avail.

The celebrity media reported that the pop diva was seen drinking heavily and behaving unpredictably in the three or four days before she died.

Source: Reuters/Odd News