Hayden Panettiere's fatal overdose is a stark reminder that the fentanyl crisis has not gone away, even as the United States makes genuine progress in reducing overdose deaths since peaking in 2022.This week, the Greenville County Coroner's Office ruled that Panettiere died from the toxic effects of five drugs found in her system: fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol and Quetiapine.Dr.Anna Lembke, a Stanford psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist, told Fox News Digital that while the circumstances surrounding the actress' death remain unclear, the combination of drugs in her system likely increased the risk of a fatal overdose."We don't know if she sought out fentanyl.
We don't know if she had a counterfeit pill that had fentanyl in it.She might have been prescribed fentanyl for pain," Lembke said.
"She was also on a benzo.We know combining benzos and opioids increases the risk of overdose of each of those medications separately.
It looks like she was also on Quetiapine, a mood stabilizer, but also highly sedating in the mix."Hayden Panettiere discusses "Nashville" with the Build Series at AOL HQ on Jan.5, 2017 in New York City.
(Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic)HAYDEN PANETTIERE DEATH: DEA JOINS PROBE INTO WHAT HAPPENED TO LATE STARLembke continued: "We don't know where she sourced it, but it does look like it was a lethal polypharmacy, including fentanyl, which on its own is an incredibly lethal drug."The Cleveland Clinic defines polypharmacy as taking several medicines regularly, usually four or more.While Lembke cautioned against drawing firm conclusions about what exactly led up to Panettiere's death, she said the tragedy underscores a broader reality: fentanyl remains a deadly threat that can affect anyone."This is still a very serious risk, and it's a risk that doesn't discriminate.Old and young, rich and poor, famous, not famous.
Because of the increased access to these highly potent and potentially lethal drugs in the modern age, we're really all a...