The video is partly based on real 2026 Europe heatwave mortality reporting, but it also contains false claims about melanin, race, and tanning products.
Claim-by-claim breakdown
Accurate (98% confidence): Melanin helps protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light and sun damage. NIH, NCI, FDA, and CDC sources all say melanin is the pigment that gives skin color and helps protect against UV damage.
False (99% confidence): White people have no melanin in their skin. Medical sources describe melanin as present in human skin and note that skin tone varies by amount and type of melanin, not its total absence.
False (94% confidence): Melanin is worth $511 a gram, about ten times more than gold. No reliable scientific, medical, or market source supports a standard price of $511 per gram for melanin.
Misleading (90% confidence): A June 2026 heatwave caused about 20,390 heat-related deaths across Europe. A recent study posted on Zenodo estimated 20,390 heat-related deaths across Europe during June 22–28, 2026; Reuters/AP coverage also described the figure as an estimate of excess deaths, not a verified tally.
Accurate (96% confidence): Germany recorded more than 5,100 heat-related deaths in late June 2026. Reuters and German media reported that the RKI estimated about 5,100 heat-related deaths in Germany from the late-June 2026 heatwave.
Misleading (88% confidence): France had about 2,700 excess deaths from the June 2026 heatwave. Santé publique France reported increased mortality during the heat wave, and AP reported France had 5,700 more deaths than usual during the historic June heat wave; earlier Reuters coverage had lower preliminary estimates around 1,000 to…
Accurate (92% confidence): Spain recorded at least 212 heat-related deaths over a four-day window during the 2026 heatwave. Reuters coverage said Spain's Carlos III Health Institute attributed 212 deaths to heat over a four-day window during the June 2026 heatwave.
Accurate (97% confidence): Melanotan II is a tanning injection used to darken skin and it is unapproved or illegal in some countries. NHS inform, Cancer Research UK, and FDA sources describe Melanotan II as an unapproved tanning product and warn users to stop using it.