Free Fall Into Opioid Use
“And I’m free, free fallin’
(Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’)
Yeah I’m free, free fallin’
(Free fallin’, I’m-a free fallin’)”
When Tom Petty’s song, “Free Fallin’,” was released in 1989, he probably didn’t expect that his death would occur in October 2017 at age 66 as the result of an accidental free fall into opioid use.
According to National Public Radio, the LA Coroner determined that his death was caused by the accidental overdose of a mix of opioids, including fentanyl. He had been taking these drugs to treat pain from knee problems and a fractured hip, as well as other ailments.