Overview
- San Francisco health officials confirmed a recent fatal overdose tied to cychlorphine, a newly detected synthetic opioid.
- Cychlorphine is believed to be about 10 times stronger than fentanyl, which raises the risk that even one counterfeit pill can be deadly.
- Fentanyl test strips do not detect this compound, so authorities are urging people to avoid counterfeit pills that can hide unknown drugs.
- Officials say to give naloxone for any suspected overdose, and some reports indicate multiple doses may be needed to revive a person.
- The DEA says it first identified the drug in a Florida lab in 2024 and warns it could appear in pills, powders, or cocaine, while a local hospital lab has not found broader spread in testing.