Home / Health / New Super-Opioid Cychlorphine Kills San Francisco Teen
New Super-Opioid Cychlorphine Kills San Francisco Teen
14 Sep
Summary
- A potent new synthetic opioid, cychlorphine, is emerging and deadlier than fentanyl.
- Cychlorphine is 10 times more potent than fentanyl and harder to detect.
- A 16-year-old in San Francisco was the first reported death from cychlorphine.
A 16-year-old's death in San Francisco has brought to light a new and exceptionally dangerous synthetic opioid called cychlorphine. This drug is reportedly ten times more potent than fentanyl and poses a significant challenge due to its detectability and reversal difficulties.
Cychlorphine, originating from a 1960s Belgian research lab, is now being produced by amateur chemists and appearing in the illicit drug supply. It has emerged in San Francisco, with the first reported death occurring in April. Health officials issued a warning seventeen days later, highlighting the escalating threat.
Experts note that existing drug test strips cannot detect cychlorphine, and reversing its effects may require numerous doses of Narcan. This complicates emergency response and public safety efforts, as many individuals only carry one or two doses.
Law enforcement has made arrests in connection with drug sales in San Francisco, recovering pills that may contain cychlorphine. While these actions offer some relief, the broader spread of such novel and potent drugs remains a grave concern for cities nationwide.
