Philip Seymour Hoffman arrives for the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' at ...

1. Philip Seymour Hoffman's death spotlights dangers of
heroin addiction
Philip Seymour Hoffman arrives for the Los
Angeles premiere of 'The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire' at the Nokia Theatre LA Live in
Los Angeles, Calif. on Nov. 18, 2013. ROBYN
BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Last Updated Feb 3, 2014 5:55 PM EST
Though actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's
struggles with addiction were well known, his
untimely death still shocked many.
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that Hoffman had a syringe in his arm when he
was found dead in his apartment on Sunday. A law enforcement source told CBS News that more
than 70 glassine envelopes were found at the scene, some empty, some full, and some with traces of
a substance inside. Tests are being done to determine their contents and the cause of death. The
stamps on the bags included the ace of spades and ace of hearts. Investigators also found five
different prescription medications.
Hoffman's death comes at a time when officials around the country are worried about a particularly
deadly combination of heroin mixed with a painkilling narcotic called Fentanyl. It is said to be
responsible for nearly 100 deaths over the last year in various states including Rhode Island,
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New Jersey.
Dr. Karen Hacker, health director of Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania, told CBS
News that in the last month 15 overdose deaths in her area have been linked to the mix of heroin
and Fentanyl, with potentially more deaths pending confirmation by the medical examiner.
"This combination with a synthetic opioid increased the intensity and strength of the heroin between
10 and 100 times," she explained.
Hacker's jurisdiction is making a concerted effort to work with local media, law enforcement, drug
treatment programs, suboxone and methadone clinics and medical departments to get the word out
about the dangerous drug combo.
While law enforcement officials said they couldn't confirm if Hoffman had used that particular drug
before his death, heroin strength and purity is a constant issue. Ben Levenson, founder of Origins
Recovery Center, a substance abuse rehab facility in South Padre Island, Texas, explained to CBS
News that the drug varies widely in terms of its composition.
"Even buying from the same dealer, the purity...could really vary," he said.

2. The risk is increased when addicts don't realize they're getting an especially potent strain, so they
may use their usual amount and overdose, Hacker pointed out. There are also addicts who seek out
these stronger batches on purpose after hearing of the effects.
"The worse-case scenario, they are drawn to it because it is particularly intense and they think it will
give them a better high," she said.
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60 Minutes Overtime
2006: Philip Seymour Hoffman on 60 Minutes
"I got panicked for my life," Philip Seymour Hoffman told Steve Kroft in 2006 about why he went into
drug and alcohol rehab
Hoffman spoke to "60 Minutes" in 2006 about going into rehab after being addicted to a variety of
substances in his 20s. Last year, after being sober for 23 years, he entered rehab again after
relapsing with pills and heroin. Levenson, who has struggled with addiction himself, said that many
things can be a trigger for addicts, including work or relationship stress.
"There is no cure for addiction, which is a chronic disease, the same as diabetes, asthma and heart
disease," Janina Kean, president and CEO of High Watch Recovery Center, told CBS News in an
email. "Unfortunately for Philip Seymour Hoffman, as is the case for anyone suffering from a
chronic disease, there are periods of remission when the disease is at bay and periods of
exacerbation when the disease is in full throttle."
Kean said she believed that because Hoffman might not have been currently habitually using drugs,
his tolerance may have been lower.
"What I also suspect as a possibility is that because he was in recovery, the brain begins to reset
itself and is no longer able to handle the same potency of drugs as previously used," she explained.
"When this happens, an amount that was previously tolerable for someone could now easily cause
them to overdose."
Levenson added that once drug addicts start abusing again, they often will use at the same levels as
they did at the height of addiction. They may believe that because they didn't die before when using
the drug, this time won't be any different.
He pointed out that Hoffman's tragic death should serve as an important reminder of the fact that so
many people struggle with heroin and other opioid addictions.
"For every celebrity that overdoses, there are 75 to 100 addicts that die. And for every celebrity with

3. an addiction problem there are millions more that suffer in silence," he commented.
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