(LOOTPRESS) – Health officials across the United States are raising alarms about a dangerous new synthetic opioid, cychlorphine, that is being linked to a growing number of overdose deaths, particularly in parts of the Midwest.
According to reports, public health leaders say cychlorphine has already been connected to fatal overdoses in multiple states, including Ohio and Kentucky, and Tennessee with concerns the drug could spread further nationwide.
Authorities warn the substance is especially dangerous because it is often mixed into other drugs—such as fentanyl or methamphetamine—without users’ knowledge, significantly increasing the risk of accidental overdose.
Experts say cychlorphine may be as strong as, or even more potent than, fentanyl, one of the deadliest opioids currently fueling the U.S. overdose crisis.
Its potency, combined with the fact that it may not show up in standard toxicology tests, is making it difficult for health officials to track and respond to its spread.
Another major concern is that overdoses involving cychlorphine may not respond as effectively to naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses. In some cases, multiple doses may be required.
Clusters of deaths tied to the drug have already been identified in regions such as eastern Tennessee, where at least 16 overdose fatalities have been linked to cychlorphine in recent months.
Public health agencies and law enforcement officials are urging communities across the country to remain vigilant, warning that the emergence of new synthetic opioids like cychlorphine represents a continuing evolution of the nation’s drug crisis.
Officials emphasize the importance of awareness, access to overdose-reversal medications, and expanded testing as the drug begins to appear more frequently in the illicit drug supply.
