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While the shock of Michael Jackson's death still reverberates around the world, one question remains unanswered: Did he die of a prescription drug overdose?

His nutritionist Cherilyn Lee says she repeatedly rejected Jackson's demands for a powerful sedative and told him the drug Diprivan has dangerous side effects.

"The nervous system problems, there's memory loss. I mean the last end result of this is death. I said you don't want to do this. He said no, my doctor said it's safe.

Many celebrities - including the late actor Heath Ledger and King of Rock Elvis Presley - have been victims of prescription sedatives, stimulants and pain killers.

"It's not limited to celebrities, and I think that would be a misnomer. These are very common problems in the broad general public.” Dr. Wilson Compton who heads a division at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. He says addiction to prescription medications is especially common among teenagers and young adults in the United States.

A prescription drug overdose took the life of 19-year-old Jason Surk. His mother, Linda, says Jason kept his drug use secret.

"It totally was a shock, I had no clue, no clue that he was abusing," she said.

Dr. Compton says the problem has become so widespread among Americans that it's an epidemic.

"You say where did you get it? They say they didn't get it from a physician directly. Most of the time they say they got it from family or friends," he said.

But Doctor George Kolodner says physicians need to be held accountable.

"There is no competency test for doctors who want to prescribe these medications. All they need to do is to pay a fee and they get licensed from the ED (Drug Enforcement Agency) to do that," he said.

Kolodner runs a drug addiction clinic in the Washington D.C. area. He says doctors should have to pass a test before they can prescribe painkillers, like Percocet and Vicodin, that are derived from opium.

And there is an easier remedy.

"Get rid of the left over prescriptions in your medicine cabinet," said Dr. Compton.
So no one is tempted to self-medicate.

词汇讲解

Reverberate: if an event, action, or idea reverberates, it has a strong effect over a wide area and for a long time 有长久深刻的影响,产生广泛的影响；

Repercussions of the case continue to reverberate through the financial world.
这件事持续影响着整个金融界。

Misnomer: a name or a word that is not appropriate or accurate 使用不恰当或不准确的名称，用词不当

'Villa' was something of a misnomer; the place was no more than an old farmhouse.
“别墅”一说有点不妥，那地方只不过是座旧农舍。

Accountable: responsible for the effects of your actions and willing to explain or be criticized for them 负有责任

Be held accountable for sth: 对…某事负有责任
Someone must be held accountable for the killings. 必须有人要对这些凶杀事件负责。