Coroner's heath tips

Thought I’d jot down a few coroner health cautions that you don’t see printed up elsewhere, but that we have discussed in the office based on “cases”.

People over 50 shouldn’t use cocaine, Yes I know that no one should use cocaine and that, as we testify, “there is no safe dose of cocaine”, but based on some of the deaths we see it seems particularly lethal for those over 50. It causes “heart attacks”, “asthma attacks”, strokes, and people just plain “waking up dead”.

Viewing pornography and “doing something about it” can be lethal. I know there are individuals who would like to use that “fact” to regulate the porn industry, but I would have a less severe recommendation. I recommend all men (yes, it seems to be a guy “thing”) say over the age of 45 (depending on other health issues) have a physical done by their doctor before they undertake these activities. Just like is recommended before starting an exercise program.

Do not trust the drugs you buy “on the street”. As an example, stuff we have recovered and tested from death cases thought to be heroin has consisted of anything from “pure” Benadryl to Fentanyl. Any of these, obviously, can be lethal, but I imagine the highs are different and isn’t it the high that you buy it for? You aren’t going to get your heroin high if the Fentanyl causes your death even before you get the syringe out of your arm. I doubt that Benadryl gives you the same high as heroin, even though much of the Lake County heroin seems to be cut with it. (I read recently, some place, that the “name” heroin is derived from “heroine”, which is what heroin was “billed as” when it was first used for pain control.) Caveat emptor.

There are a few; there will be more from time to time.