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Prince had “exceedingly high” level of fentanyl in his system when he died
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 27 March 2018
Prince was found to have “exceedingly high” levels of pain medicine fentanyl in his system when he died, according to a report obtained by the Associated Press.
The star’s death had already been recorded as an accidental overdose of the synthetic opioid. However, last week the lead prosecutor overseeing the ongoing investigation into Prince’s passing said that police are now investigating whether anyone should be prosecuted for prescribing dangerous doses of the drug.
Commenting on the report, Dr Lewis Nelson of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School called the amount of fentanyl in Prince’s system “a pretty clear smoking gun” with regard to possible liabilities.
In the aftermath of the musician’s death the debate was re-opened around the willingness of some doctors in the US to prescribe highly addictive painkillers to celebrities and other wealthy clients. This debate also arose following the death of Michael Jackson, after it emerged that he had been given a surgical anaesthetic to treat insomnia.
Elsewhere in Prince news, as we head to the second anniversary of his death on 21 Apr, his estate has announced plans to mark the date. During the month of April, a memorial fence will be erected at his Paisley Park home, where fans can leave tributes.
There will also be various events taking place from 19-22 Apr in Minneapolis under the banner ‘Celebration 2018’. This will include seminars by former Prince collaborators and a screening of a Prince live performance.
