Kanye West,
the American rap music icon, said George Floyd, whose death sparked a wave of
protests and eventually the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the United
States, did not die because former police officer Derek Chauvin put his knee on
Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds but because of fentanyl. The rap
musician made the comment on N.O.R.E and DJ EFN Drink Champs podcast.

On October 18, it was reported that Floyd’s family was planning to sue Kanye over his claims. The lawsuit is being filed by Floyd’s former partner Roxie Washington on behalf of their minor daughter.

What is
fentanyl?

Fentanyl is
an opioid primarily used for pain management. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) describes fentanyl as a synthetic opioid up to 50 times
stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

There are
two types of fentanyl:

·       Pharmaceutical fentanyl

·       Illicitly manufactured fentanyl

Pharmaceutical
fentanyl is prescribed by doctors for treatment of severe pain. It is primarily
used after surgery and for advanced stage cancer.

Most cases
of fentanyl overdose are linked to illicitly manufactured fentanyl. These are
distributed in the market due to its heroin-like effect. Fentanyl is sometimes
added to other drugs because of its extremely high potency, which makes drugs cheaper,
more addictive and more dangerous, the CDC says.

Nearly 150
people die everyday due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl overuse in the
United States. Presence of fentanyl in drugs can only be recorded through the
use of fentanyl strips.

What
Kanye said?

Kanye Ye
West was discussing conservative commentator Candace Owens’ documentary titled
The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM. West said it was the
film that led him to believe that Floyd had died due to the use of fentanyl and
the cop’s knee wasn’t “on his neck like that.”

What
happened to George Floyd?

George
Floyd, an African American man, was apprehended by the police after a store
clerk suspected that Floyd had paid him a counterfeit $20 currency note. As
Floyd walked out of the store, four police officers gathered around him. Derek
Chauvin, one of the police officers took him down and then put his knee on his
neck. Nine minutes and 29 seconds later, George Floyd died. His last words
were: “I can’t breathe.”