Drug in Anna Nicole Smith's Fridge to Blame for Increased Overdose Deaths

Feb. 14, 2007 — -- While the cause of Anna Nicole Smith's death is still a mystery, a report from TMZ.com has linked Smith with the drug methadone.

New pictures from the entertainment Web site show a bottle of methadone in Smith's refrigerator in the Bahamas.

Investigators haven't said what killed Smith, but they do say drugs are a possible cause. Smith's 20-year-old son, Daniel, died in September because of a mixture of methadone and antidepressants.

Smith's attorney believes the methadone may have been planted in her fridge.

Whatever happened in Smith's case, methadone has become an increasingly common killer. Overdose deaths from the drug shot up nearly 400 percent between 1999 and 2004.

Robin Debaise's 16-year-old daughter, Sara, died after taking methadone.

"She made one bad mistake, and it cost her her life," Debaise said. "It's been 2½ years, and I still expect her to come walking through the door. Everyone says this can't happen to them, but it's happening to me."

Sara is the new face of methadone. For decades, liquid methadone was given to help heroine addicts ease the agony of withdrawal.

In recent years, doctors have increasingly prescribed methadone pills as painkillers because they're cheaper and less controversial than OxyContin or Vicodin, which have been widely abused.

Dr. Terry Horton, medical director of Phoenix House, a drug and alcohol treatment center, believes methadone can be safe.

"The problem occurs when methadone is used outside of the physician's supervision. Then individuals are misusing it and can find themselves in harm's way," Horton said.

While methadone can be safe under medical supervision, it is considered a tricky drug to prescribe.

There are concerns that doctors who are not sufficiently familiar with methadone can prescribe it in ways that lead to medical complications and even death.