9:38 AM - The Anna Nicole Smith Tragedy

By Tammy Van, staff writer
Tuesday October 17, 2006

Often times, people overlook the dangers of drug overdose; they are under the impression that prescription and over-the-counter medications are completely safe. Daniel Smith thought he was merely easing his depression and anxiety.

“Howard, wake up! I don't think Daniel is breathing!” screamed Anna Nicole. Just days after giving birth to her newborn daughter, Anna Nicole Smith discovered her twenty-year-old son, Daniel, dead.

Daniel had been feeling ill before visiting his mother, but everyone, including himself, had taken the complications lightly.

Expectant mother Anna Nicole made a trip to the Bahamas to ensure a smooth, quiet delivery for newborn Danilynne Hope. Although Daniel was previously suffering from stomachaches and exhaustion, his intimate relationship with his mother forced him to board the plane.

Soon after his arrival, Anna Nicole's lawyer, Howard K. Stern, escorted Daniel to his mother's room at Doctors Hospital. All seemed well as the family posed in photos and tended to their new addition. Daniel even awoke himself throughout the night in order to check over the health conditions of the baby and his mother, who had undergone a C-section.

Shortly after his last check up, Anna Nicole decided to return the favor only to find that her son was not breathing and was without a pulse. The hospital made continuous attempts of CPR, but was unsuccessful. A half-hour later, Daniel was declared dead.

The police are baffled by the complexity of this case. Blood and vomit were absent from the scene, which eliminated the possibility of suicide or homicide. Two experts were then hired to perform autopsies. Dr. Cyril Wecht, their private pathologist, immediately eliminated cancer, infections of blood clots, and tumors from the list of possibilities.

Recently Wecht had concluded that Daniel's death was due to hazardous intakes of three prescription drugs at the same time. It was known that he had been taking Lexapro, an antidepressant and antianxiety drug. Zoloft and methadone were also discovered in his system.

Although they appear to be harmless prescriptions, drug overdose will have the same effects as any other type of substance abuse. “The case was so high-profile, it made other people become more aware of their kids and changes in their personality to prevent this,” commented Senior Lan Mai.

The pathologist's concluded that the death was due to combined drug toxicity, but how he managed to receive the medications remains unexplained. Also, much speculation revolved around the reasons why Daniel had been taking methadone, a pain reliever often used to relieve heroin addiction.

“Unfortunately, it seems like drug abuse happens very often to people of many different backgrounds,” said Senior Trisha Luu. “It just saddens me because it seems like so many people these days resort to drug abuse as an easy, but temporary, fix for all their problems.”