Coroner: Director had anti-depressant, sleep aid in system before death
Tony Scott died August 19 in Calfornia.
October 22nd, 2012
06:57 PM ET

Coroner: Director had anti-depressant, sleep aid in system before death

Tony Scott - the British film director behind films such as  "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II" - had an anti-depressant and a sleep aid in his system when he jumped to his death in August, the Los Angeles County coroner's department said Monday.

Scott died after jumping off a bridge in San Pedro, California, into the Pacific Ocean. The coroner's department determined the final cause of his death as "multiple blunt force injuries," with drowning another "significant" factor.

Read more about the director's life and death at CNN.com/Entertainment

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Filed under: California • Movies
soundoff (21 Responses)
  1. BIg Mas

    damn shame a great director passes.

    October 22, 2012 at 7:21 pm | Report abuse |
  2. SSRI's

    I would have liked to see Cnn use the this opportunity to speak about the *Camel* of antidepressants.
    The same tone is given when it's a celebrity... as though it's rare to or it is the person who was too far gone even though he/she was taking antidepressants. When in fact the drugs themselves caused a heightened state of depression.
    There are many more cases out there that should have been noted to aid in informing the public for safety...
    In the words of John Belushi "but NOOOOO !"

    October 22, 2012 at 7:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Here you go:
      http://cnn.com/HEALTH
      This is a breaking news blog, as in 'Here's the result of Tony Scott's tox screen".

      October 22, 2012 at 7:59 pm | Report abuse |
  3. SSRI's

    And as usual you miss the thrust of my post.

    October 22, 2012 at 8:02 pm | Report abuse |
  4. banasy©

    I didn't miss the thrust of your post, but you completely missed the point of mine: that just because it isn't on this particular blog doesn't mean CNN hasn't covered it...
    It is extremely disingenuous to think that a story (ies) hasn't been covered because you haven't seen it covered on the "THIS JUST IN" blog.

    October 22, 2012 at 8:08 pm | Report abuse |
  5. SSRI's

    My point wasn't Just Cnn's coverage, but, all mainstream media's lack of exposing the Big Pharma and the few doctors knowingly committing murder, not only to the patients that take these drugs, but, those that go on killing sprees as a result of their psychosis educed states.
    Finished
    Good night

    October 22, 2012 at 8:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Portland tony

      ........"side effects may include .....and may cause ......please tell your physician if......or emergency personnel if....."

      October 22, 2012 at 8:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • Genevieve

      "I would have liked to see Cnn use the this opportunity to speak about the *Camel* of antidepressants." This is what you said. If that wasn't your point why didn't you say whast your point was???

      October 22, 2012 at 8:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • retphxfire

      Dang, the dangers of prescription medications are constantly in the news. Shows like The Doctors, Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, etal all appear to have addressed the dangers. Taking the wrong mix, reactions with other medications, over-medication, addiction, etc. Plus, every ad on tv talks about the possible side effects, which are usually so bad you'd think no one would even consider taking any of them. However, this is to point out to you that your assertions are not correct.

      October 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm | Report abuse |
  6. dazzle ©

    Mirtazapine is a tetracyclic anti depressant which acts similarly on the brain. As with any medications, using alcohol can put someone at risk. So the question is: What dosage was he taking and was it working. He could have easily committed suicide by overdosing and go gently but jumping off a bridge?

    October 22, 2012 at 8:22 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      You mean the antidepressant in his system wasn't a SSRI?
      Interesting.

      October 22, 2012 at 8:30 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    "Anti-depressant" and a "sleep aid", makes you what? Happy to go to sleep?
    Maybe Humpty-Dumpty was "pushed".

    October 22, 2012 at 8:24 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Jeff

    If they mention Pizza Hut in the debate I heard Obama or Romney might get pizza free forever. Wouldn’t that be cool. They could eat pizza every day.

    If I was the president that’s what I would do. I’d mention Pizza Hut and CocaCola and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Ben & Jerry’s all the time. Then I would be president plus have cool free snacks. Then when foreign diplomats came over to visit I cold be like, I’m the president and got all these great snacks. Want some? That would be cool. And bring peace to the world through pizza. Yeah.

    This is the best post ever.

    October 22, 2012 at 8:24 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    Jeff:
    Free pizza forever? Not on my watch!

    October 22, 2012 at 8:28 pm | Report abuse |
  10. dazzle ©

    LOL, not pizza please. The debate blog is on another thread.

    October 22, 2012 at 8:32 pm | Report abuse |
  11. @SSRIs

    SSRIs (and other antidepressants) carry a "black box warning" from the FDA. They do not cause a "heightened depression" but instead make some people (I believe it is on the order of 0.01%) more likely to follow through with their plans to end their lives in the first few weeks of treatment. This is a known potential adverse effect. Additionally, patients with untreated depression are something like thousands of times more likely to commit suicide when compared to those on SSRIs. Any physician worth his/her salt counsels patients on the potential risks and benefits before prescribing such a medication.

    October 22, 2012 at 8:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • Tresa

      Very good post, and very true.

      October 22, 2012 at 8:41 pm | Report abuse |
    • dazzle ©

      @SSRI's, very true and the prescribing MD usually works in tandem with a team of professionals and involve family members to sit in on the Dx and Rx sessions. So many people are afraid to tell the truth to their doctor because of the stigma attached and health insurance company issues, it's always wise to have a loved one sit in.

      October 22, 2012 at 8:47 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    My family doctor knows most things about me. And I know for a fact, if he thought there was any kind of depression that I needed a script for, he would of gave me a referral to a clinical psychologist to determine if there was any need whatsoever for a mood altering med.
    The number 1 medicine found in trace amounts in New York Citys' water supply is Xanax.
    There is a reason this man was on an anti-depressant. Probably none of our business. But I don't think this tox screen revealed anything remarkable.

    October 22, 2012 at 10:42 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    People with suicidal tendencies will pull a whole world of tricks to do themselves in, not just jumping of a bridge.

    October 22, 2012 at 10:48 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Peter

    A great director passes, perhaps money and success aren't always the key to a full life...

    October 29, 2012 at 10:43 am | Report abuse |
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