Cory Monteith Cause of Death HEROIN AND ALCOHOL 
 
 Cory Monteith Cause of Death -- HEROIN AND ALCOHOL 
 
 EXCLUSIVE 
 
 Officials are currently addressing the media about the death investigation.Cops wouldn't delve into specifics when asked if they found drugs in Cory's hotel room, but they certainly insinuated it ... saying, "There was evidence in the room that was consistant of a drug overdose."died from a lethal combination of heroin and alcohol ... this according to Canadian authorities.The British Columbia Coroners Service says an autopsy and toxicological analysis show that the 31-year-old "Glee" star died from a "mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol."Monteith's body was discovered by staffers at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver, Canada on July 13.Monteith had struggled with addiction for years and had been to rehab earlier this year.Monteith had said he began struggling with drugs and alcohol as a young teenager.Story developing ... ||||| It's a been a tough couple of days for Lea Michele 
 
 In the wake of the devastating news from the coroner that her boyfriend and Glee co-star Cory Monteith died from a toxic mixture involving heroin and alcohol, the actress' reps has issued a statement on behalf of the starlet in mourning. 
 
 The statement, obtained by Celebuzz, reads: 
 
 “Lea is deeply grateful for all the love and support she’s received from family, friends, and fans. Since Cory’s passing, Lea has been grieving alongside his family and making appropriate arrangements with them. They are supporting each other as they endure this profound loss together. We continue to ask the media to respect the privacy of Lea and Cory’s family.” 
 
 Monteith, 31, was found dead in his room at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in downtown Vancouver, Canada shortly after noon on July 13. He had checked into the hotel on July 6 and had been expected to check out Saturday. When he had failed to meet his check out deadline, hotel staff went to his room where they found him deceased 
 
 On Tuesday, British Columbia Coroner's Office concluded that there was no foul play involved. 
 
 "It should be noted that at this point there is no evidence to suggest Mr. Monteith’s death was anything other than a most-tragic accident," as stated in the press release. 
 
 Monteith had a long history of drug addition. At 16 he battled drugs and alcohol, but credited turning his life around due to an intervention three years later at 19. In March 2013, the actor once again checked himself into rehab for substance addiction. He was later released on April 26. ||||| When patients leave detox, they can be especially vulnerable because their bodies are no longer able to tolerate high doses of drugs. 
 
 Cory Monteith arrives at the 12th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball June 8 in Los Angeles. A July 16 coroner's report said the actor died from an overdose of heroin and alcohol. (Photo: Jonathan Leibson, Getty Images, for Chrysalis) Story Highlights The coroner confirmed that Monteith died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol 
 
 When detox patients relapse, their system may not be able to handle high doses of drugs 
 
 Alcohol and heroin suppress breathing and can be an especially fatal combination 
 
 People such as Cory Monteith who have used heavy drugs can have an increased risk of a fatal overdose in the period after leaving rehab, doctors say. 
 
 The British Columbia coroner confirmed Tuesday that Monteith, from the TV show Glee, died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol. 
 
 The actor, 31, whose body was found at the Fairmount Pacific Rim hotel in Vancouver, had checked himself into drug rehab in April. 
 
 CORY MONTEITH: Coroner says heroin and alcohol caused actor's death 
 
 Rehab can be lifesaving, and it helps many addicts get clean for good. But addicts can be vulnerable to overdose after going through a detox program, because their bodies are no longer able to tolerate high doses of drugs, says Neal Benowitz, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. He has no personal knowledge of Monteith's case. 
 
 Heroin users develop a tolerance over time, so they need larger amounts of the drug to get high. Their bodies become able to withstand large amounts of the drug, Benowitz says. 
 
 Monteith had a long history of drug use. In an interview with Parade magazine in 2011, Monteith said that his drug use had spiraled out of control when he was a teen and that he was "doing anything and everything, as much as possible." 
 
 Once those drugs are cleared from person's system, however, taking a big dose all at once can prove fatal, Benowitz says. 
 
 "Among people who have been clean and sober, if they go back into the habit, they will usually start at the same dose that they had before," says John Brown, an attending physician at San Francisco General Hospital's emergency room. "Their body is now sensitive to it. They've essentially reset their body." 
 
 Heroin produces euphoria by binding to receptors on nerve cells in the brain, Brown says. But many of those receptors are located on nerve cells that regulate breathing. 
 
 So heroin suppresses respiration not by damaging the lungs but by damaging parts of the brain that tell the lungs to breathe, Brown says. 
 
 The combination can create a vicious cycle, Brown says. The brain fails to send the proper signals, so breathing slows. That causes cells to become deprived of oxygen, which further decreases brain activity. 
 
 Addicts can die because they simply stop breathing, Brown says. 
 
 Alcohol, which also suppresses a person's breathing and heart rate, amplifies heroin's depressant effects, Benowitz says. And when people are drinking, they may be more likely to use drugs, as well as fail to pay attention to how much they're taking. 
 
 Doctors can sometimes save overdose patients by giving them oxygen and medication to reverse the effects of heroin on the brain, Brown says. People who survive can be left with brain damage, because their brains were deprived of oxygen. 
 
 Contributing: The Associated Press 
 
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– Cory Monteith's autopsy is in, and his cause of death is what everybody expected: Hard drugs and booze. The coroner in British Columbia lays the blame on "mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol," reports TMZ. The 31-year-old Glee actor was found in his Vancouver hotel room over the weekend, and he has a long history of trying to get his substance abuse under control. The results "seem to confirm this was an accident," reports ET Online.