By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

In life, he was a force of nature as a pitchman for popular products. But in death, Billy Mays will now be the punchline for countless warnings about the pitfalls of drug use.

Cocaine led to the heart-related problems that caused the death of Mays, the Hillsborough, Fla., medical examiner's office reported Friday.

The news was a surprise -- to his family and to many people who had seen Mays as a hyper-energetic, clean-cut supporter of products he pitched on TV.

But the damaging effects of cocaine have long been known. So in retrospect, it's not that surprising that -- with Mays' use of the drug -- he was found dead in bed by his wife June 28.

The medical examiner's conclusion: "Cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death."