In Houston, gun shot wounds are a biggy. Usuallly cause of death is very accurate and concise.

I did have some one close to me die of a drug related cause. Although the real cause of death was a morphine overdose, they put asphyxiation on the death certificate because he did not actually take enough morphine to kill him, he took enough to not react to the fact he had barfed while passed out. I believe if they aactually die of an overdose it will say "herion toxicity". Another example is a drunk driver. He died from drinking too much alcohol, but his death certificate is going to say "blunt force trauma" due to the head on collision he was in.