Cocaine Tied To TV Pitchman's Death

TV Personality Billy Mays' Family Says Report He Used Cocaine Before Death Is "Speculative"

(AP)  An official autopsy report released Friday found that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV pitchman Billy Mays in June, but his family called the finding "speculative" and considered getting an independent look at the results.

The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office previously determined that the bearded, boisterous TV spokesman had a heart attack in his sleep. His wife found him unresponsive in bed in their Tampa condo June 28.

Mays, 50, was a pop-culture fixture with his energetic commercials pitching gadgets and cleaning products like Orange Glo and OxiClean.

While heart disease was the primary cause of death, a report released Friday by the medical examiner listed cocaine as a "contributory cause of death."

The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release.

The office said Mays last used cocaine in the few days before his death but was not under the influence of the drug when he died. Hillsborough County spokeswoman Lori Hudson said nothing in the toxicology report indicated the frequency of Mays' cocaine use.

"We were totally unaware of any non-prescription drug usage and are actively considering an independent evaluation of the autopsy results," Mays' family said in a statement.

The statement said the family was "extremely disappointed" by the release of the information by the medical examiner's office. The report "contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension, which only demonstrates how important it is to regularly monitor one's health."

Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause thickening of the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said.

The toxicology tests also showed therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays had suffered hip problems and was scheduled for hip-replacement surgery the day after he was found dead.

Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of the "As Seen on TV" product company Telebrands, said Mays never exhibited any signs of drug use and was always prepared for his many commericial shoots.

"I'm just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen."

Mays, a McKees Rocks, Pa., native, developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "As Seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.

He got his start on TV on the Home Shopping Network and then branched out into commercials and infomercials. He developed such a strong following that he became the subject of a reality TV series, Discovery Channel's "Pitchmen."

[mrleme]

Toxicology reports can be unclear because many 'drugs and alcohol' remain in you system for a very long time, sometimes years, no wonder the family wants another report done. Regardless of what many of you think of the said deceased, he obviously was liked by many more people and please don't sound so self-righteous, we all have our 'addictions.'

[stupa2]

Cocaine user no wonder this guy was an obnoxious pitch man...sham wow!

[kipinmaine]

I'm glad you guys aren't my maker ! I hope better things are written about you saints when your time comes.

[amulette]

What a bunch of cold-hearted remarks.Such a sad,full of hate and disrespectfull world we live in.

[stupa2]

Get over it no sympathy for self absorbed selfish dope users

[skeetchamp]

This guy was LOADED on a cocktail of party drugs that would make a rock star sick.

[novamba]

Speculative? The man obviously had signs of cocaine use in his system, and possibly enough for a person who makes their living determining causes of death, to determine he used too much for his own good. Leave the PR machine alone, the man is dead and possibly left a boat load of cash. just let it be and move on. That poor family is perpetuating its own nightmare.

[formrusmcsgt]

Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani said Mays never exhibited any signs of drug use and was always prepared for his many commericial shoots.
--
Like Billy wasn't takling at 1,000 wpm and in an octave about 3 higher than most men...

[wdh3007]

In reading this one might wonder what if this guy had traces of cocaine in his own products he marketed.

[prometheus21]

The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release.

Considering FAR MORE people consume saturated fat, cholesterol and have GENETIC predisposition toward high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, than consume cocaine; it's a wonder why the coroner and "free press that chose not to question, but cherry-pick this to report" decided to alert people to the fact that saturated fat, cholestoral and HEREDITY contributed GREATLY to the development of heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death.

One person's history of heart disease and cocaine use is hardly as interesting as the disease of democracy, a propagandist "free press".

[rondivoo]

Hooray for the free press... The public SHOULD know the awful truth about the lowlifes who rip off the public with their idiotic antics. People who were fooled by him don't like to admit they fell for a big-mouthed cokehead!!

[AttentionDeficit]

I wonder if people who say he "got what he deserved" say the same thing about people who keel over from heart attacks from their smoking or eating garbage food.

[bobnjersey]

["I'm just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen." ]

and now he's not?

[rondivoo]

You got it!!!

[rondivoo]

You got it!!!

[rondivoo]

"and now he's not?" .... in reply to this comment... yeah! he's really, really NOT !!!

[cattiej]

I couldn't stand Billy Mays...everytime he came on hollering, I would turn the channel and I didn't buy the crap that he was selling. As a retired medical employee, I knew nobody had this much energy unless he was having some form of "medical help"..Sorry, Mays, of all the products you sold, the one that you sold short was yourself.

[carolhill814]

I was so sad to hear this because I really thought he was such a neat person but now I know where he got all of energy.

I always thought those kind of things were supposed to remain private unless the family said it all right to anounce what killed a person but maybe I am wrong.

All this does make it difficult for his children. Because when they go back to school they will say hurtful things to them.

MAY GOD BLESS HIS ENTIRE FAMILY NOW AND FOR ALL TIME ESPECIALLY THROUGH THIS MOST DIFFICULT TIME AS I AM SURE HE WILL!!!

[rondivoo]

Oh, brother!!!

[hennighg]

NOW WE KNOW HOW OXYCLEAN WORKS! DID HE TALK LIKE THIS FOR THE SAME REASON?

[jclark7613]

Autopsy and tox report should not be made public. It not my bussiness or anyone else if this may did Cocaine or any other drug. He did great infomercials and commercial and that should be how he's remembered.

[rondivoo]

He did NOT do great commercials!!! He was totally obnoxious... a loudmouth with zero talent, getting rich off dumbnuts who were crazy enough to listen to him!!! I always muted the TV when his ugly, fake, dyed-bearded square-head came on the screen. UGH!!!!! Why do people want to be yelled at by an idiot???

[grabandgo]

Another snake oil salesman bit the dust.
Punishment for screwing the American people with shoddy products.

[peetrerb]

I say "Sham-WOW"

[dogloop]

Turned out it wasn't cocaine after all!
It was oxy clean!
: )

[DaVicar5]

NO, I've snorted OxyClean...all it does is make your nose shiny and stain-free.

[credibility2]

What an idiot! His stupid addiction contributed to his early demise. I no longer feel sorry that he left us so soon. He should have known better and exercised more responsible and intelligent behavior. He got what he deserved.

[DaVicar5]

Maybe those Commercial Company Executives pushed him too much, and made demands on him - "Sell this one Billy...Sell that one Billy...look good Billy...act happy Billy". They probably had an army of Doctor Feelgoods, lined up to keep him awake, alert, and obnoxious, long enough to push the next pocket fisherman or glue gunk product?

[carolhill814]

I feel the exact same way because he only thought of himself and not his family.
My father was the same way only his was smoking cigarettes he never cared about his family he stopped speaking at the age of fourty-five (45) and died from a stroke at the age of fivety-five (55) and never stopped smoking even though he had a stroke from smoking so they are all the same no matter what the addition and that is a fact!!!

[retiredgustav]

Something I learned many years ago and you may want to think about it. The person who dies doesn't suffer,it is the ones they leave behind!

[AttentionDeficit]

carolhill: he thought nothing of his family? and all that work he did was, what, just for himself?

[HGOODGUY]

you would have to be on coke to listen to those spots

[ETFBTF]

What's your source of info?