Prince Died of an Opioid Overdose, Reports Say

The toxicology report from the iconic music superstar Prince, whose death shocked the world in late April, may indicate an opioid overdose as the cause of death, according to the AP.

The news agency cited an official who was close to the investigation, but would only speak on the condition of anonymity. Authorities were reviewing whether Prince died of an overdose, and if a doctor had been prescribing him medication prior to his death.

The 57-year-old was reportedly sick in the weeks and months leading up to his death, although he may have tried hard to hide his condition. Just days after his passing, the gossip news agency TMZ reported the musician may have been treated for a drug overdose days before his passing.

Opioid addiction has skyrocketed in the U.S. over the past decade. In Ohio, heroin overdoses have risen 366 percent since 2000, according to a 2014 report. The report, published by the Ohio Department of Health, outlines a perfect storm of contributing factors, including a crackdown on Ohio “pill mills” and the decreasing cost of heroin, which have all led to severe public health and safety concerns.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, drug overdoses, and other diseases, have all pushed up the rate at which people have died in the U.S. from 2014 to 2015.