When I Was Young

And if this is true, what is the underlying reason? Conspiracy with the business benefactors?

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Doc regularly drugged singer to sleep: Official

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's personal doctor gave him a powerful anaesthetic through an intravenous drip to help him sleep, and the authorities believe the drug caused the pop singer's death, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official said Jackson regularly received the anaesthetic propofol - commonly known by the brand name Diprivan - and relied on it like an alarm clock.

A doctor would administer it when Jackson went to sleep, then stop the IV drip when the singer wanted to wake up.

Michael Jackson's physician Dr Conrad Murray

On June 25, the day Jackson died, Dr Conrad Murray (picture) gave him the drug through an IV sometime after midnight, the official said. Dr Murray later tried to revive the singer when he was found unconscious in his bedroom.

However, according to the doctor's lawyer, Mr Edward Chernoff, Dr Murray "didn't prescribe or administer anything that should have killed Michael Jackson".

When asked about the law enforcement official's statements he said: "We will not be commenting on rumours, innuendo or unnamed sources."

Toxicology reports are still pending, but investigators are working under the theory that propofol caused Jackson's heart to stop, the official said.

Jackson is believed to have been using the drug for about two years, and investigators are trying to determine how many other doctors administered it, the official added.

Using propofol to sleep exceeds the drug's intended purpose. The drug can depress breathing and lower heart rates and blood pressure. Because of the risks, propofol is supposed to be administered only in medical settings by trained personnel.

Dr Murray, 51, has been identified in court papers as the subject of a manslaughter investigation, and authorities last week raided his office and a storage unit in Houston.

The police say Dr Murray is cooperating and have not labelled him a suspect.

Dr Murray became Jackson's personal physician in May and was to accompany him to London for a series of concerts starting in July.

Meanwhile, the official also provided a glimpse into how the pop star was living in the weeks before he died, describing the room in which Jackson slept in his rented Beverly Hills mansion as outfitted with oxygen tanks and an IV drip.

Another of his bedrooms was in shambles, with clothes and other items strewn about and handwritten notes stuck on the walls. One read: "Children are sweet and innocent".

Police also found propofol and other drugs in the home. AP

From TODAY, World – Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009