Late Power Trip frontman Riley Gale's cause of death has been confirmed by MetalSucks after checking with the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s office. The singer died from pulmonary edema as a result of a fentanyl overdose.

A pulmonary edema causes excess fluid to build up in the lungs and is often a result of congestive heart failure, according to Medical News Today. Gale was found "unresponsive on the floor at home," the report reads, and his death was ruled accidental. His history of Xanax abuse and depression were noted in the report as well, according to MetalSucks.

While very high levels of fentanyl were found in Gale's system, the only other substance found was marijuana. Levels of fentanyl that measure 7ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter) or higher are typically fatal, as mentioned by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, and 22.5ng/mL was found in Gale's blood. The autopsy was performed on Aug. 26 of 2020, the day after he was found dead.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is between 50 and 100 times more potent than morphine, and is typically prescribed for severe pain following a surgery, as noted in the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In 2015, less than 10,000 people died from a synthetic opioid (other than Methadone) overdose in the U.S., which was primarily fentanyl. As of 2019, that number had risen to 36,359.

Other prominent musicians who have died as a result of fentanyl overdose include Prince, Tom Petty, Slipknot's Paul Gray3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts and rapper Lil Peep.

If you or someone you know if struggling with drug and/or alcohol dependence, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.

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