Port Charles actor David Gail's cause of death revealed as drug intoxication; actor's mother speaks out

Port Charles actor David Gail, who tragically passed away last month at the age of 58, died from brain and heart complications following drug intoxication involving amphetamines, cocaine, ethanol, and fentanyl. His mother, Mary Painter, is now speaking out about the dangers of pharmaceutical addiction and the fentanyl epidemic.

Gail's official cause of death was reported as anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a brain injury due to lack of blood flow, following resuscitation from cardiopulmonary arrest due to drug intoxication.

Painter revealed that Gail became reliant on medicine after multiple surgeries on his hands and wrists. She saidthat Gail struggled to stop taking pharmaceuticals and eventually turned toward Eastern pain management methods.

Expressing how deeply she has been affected by her son's death,Painter in a statement to Deadline said “It breaks my heart to learn that my son died this way."

“David became reliant on medicine many years ago, after multiple surgeries on his hands and wrists. He lived in enough pain to prevent him from working for almost a decade, with relief only achieved through full disability, physical therapy and pain medicine. He struggled to stop taking pharmaceuticals and did before turning toward a more Eastern pain management including acupuncture and natural medicines. I can only assume that his former opioid dependence played a part in self-medicating from uncontrolled sources."

“David’s death shines a light on the countless innocent victims of pharmaceutical addiction and the fentanyl epidemic that has taken so many of our sons and daughters,” the actor’s mother added. “Please keep David and others battling pain or dependence, in your thoughts and prayers.”

Gail was found unresponsive by emergency personnel and was put on life support, where he remained for several days before being pronounced dead on January 16. His family initially believed his death was due to heart failure.

Gail grew up in Tampa, Florida, and studied finance before pursuing acting. He made his onscreen debut in 1990 inan episode of Growing Pains and went on to have roles in various TV series, including Beverly Hills, 90210, and General Hospital spin-off Port Charles.