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Hoffman death blamed on mix of toxic drugs

NEW YORK — Philip Seymour Hoffman died from taking a combination of heroin, cocaine and other drugs, the New York City medical examiner ruled Friday, a toxic mix that addiction specialists say is not uncommon in the tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the U.S. each year.

Hoffman, 46, who was found Feb. 2 with a needle in his arm in his Manhattan apartment, also had taken amphetamines and benzodiazepines, which are drugs such as Xanax and Valium that are widely prescribed for anxiety, trouble sleeping and other problems, said a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.

The medical examiner didn’t provide the names of the drugs or the amounts found in Hoffman’s system, making it impossible to determine which drug was the major factor, said Dr. Charles McKay, a medical toxicologist in Connecticut and a spokesman for the American College of Medical Toxicology.

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