Jackson dermatologist 'warned against strong sedative'

Michael Jackson's dermatologist has said he occasionally gave the pop star the painkiller Demerol but warned him about using the powerful sedative Diprivan.

Dr Arnold Klein told CNN’s 'Larry King Live' TV show that Demerol was among the strongest drugs he prescribed Jackson and did not know how he got Diprivan, usually administered by anaesthesiologists in hospitals.

Investigators looking into the cause of Jackson’s June 25 death have homed in on drugs given the insomniac musician. Diprivan was allegedly found in Jackson’s home.

The dermatologist says: “If you took all the pills I had given him in the last year at once, it wouldn’t do anything to you.”

Dr Klein said he discovered that Jackson was using Diprivan while on tour in Germany and told him the drug was dangerous.

“I told him he was absolutely insane,” he said.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles spent a surprisingly reasonable $1.4m (€1m) on security, traffic control and other services during Michael Jackson’s memorial farewell, city chiefs said today.

The police department said more than 4,000 officers worked to secure the Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery, and other areas that attracted fans and the media. Their deployment cost $1.1m (€789,000) in overtime pay.

City officials said the rest covered traffic control, clean-up and other costs related to Tuesday’s memorial service.

They hailed the tally a success, saying it was far less than the nearly $4m (€2.9m) estimated cost.