Was Matthew Perry responsible for his death?

Mark (No)

Matthew Perry's death was the result of gross medical malpractice and irresponsibility. Therefore, he is in no way responsible for his untimely passing. Dr. Salvador Plascencia prescribed Matthew copious amounts of ketamine, having full knowledge of his substance addiction issues. It is a caregiver's responsibility to be aware of their patient's history. In this instance, Plascencia completely and dubiously failed Perry. In fact, doctors continued to prescribe Matthew the drug, with the knowledge that he was developing a severe dependency on it.  

Text messages between Perry's doctors talking about Perry and how to exploit his addiction are nothing short of appalling. This proves that not only were Matthew’s doctors mistreating him, but they were intentionally attempting to profit from his affliction. It's a clear case of foul play, to which these text messages are proof. Key figures in this case were close to Perry, with his personal live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, being chief among them. Mr. Iwamasa had direct and routine access to Matthew and not only showed great negligence to his employer but contributed to his condition.  

Prior to his death, Matthew had shown no signs of suicidal thoughts or behavior. By all accounts, Mr. Perry had thought he had found something that had, at the very least, neutralized his issues with depression and substance abuse. He was uninformed and kept in the dark by his doctors about the apparent dangers of excessive ketamine use. Now that the full extent of ketamine and its residual effects have come to light, it is sadly too late for Matthew. His death could and should have been avoided. 

Rob (Yes)

It's normal for people to point fingers when someone dies, but Mathew Perry, just like many other victims of drug overdose, was ultimately responsible for his death. He was an adult who made continuous conscious decisions to use Ketamine, knowing full well that the drug can be lethal, leading to adverse effects like overdose and death. Regardless of who supplied him the drugs, he's the one responsible for what he chose to have administered into his body. 

The actor had a well-documented history of addiction, particularly with alcohol and opioids. He was not exactly naive about the dangers of drug abuse and the potential for overdose. He still went down the path of drug use, which proved to be fatal. His suppliers may be complicit in his death for taking advantage of his addiction, but in the end, his death is the consequence of his own life decisions.

In his book, he openly discussed his struggles with addiction, revealing he’d spent more than $7 million on this alone. He clearly had the financial means to seek rehabilitation services. Unlike millions of other addicts, he also had the support of family and millions of fans worldwide. He, however, chose to relapse, which unfortunately led to his demise. Addiction is nuanced; every case is unique. However, the actor was acting on his own free will, and his death is ultimately down to his personal life choices. Ketamine is illegal in the US, meaning the actor engaged in unlawful activity, knowing well the inherent risks involved with this. Morally and legally, he was responsible for the consequences of his own actions, which, tragically, in this case, was his death.