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By Rowena Boulton
As the drug market becomes dominated by harmful opioids that heighten the risk of overdose, the emergence of cychlorphine poses a unique threat to those impacted by the opioid crisis.
The synthetic opioid cychlorphine first emerged on the drug market in 2024, and has been linked to overdoses in San Francisco in April of this year. The drug is ten times stronger than fentanyl, which is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States.
Similar to fentanyl, cychlorphine comes in powder form, meaning it can be easily mixed in with other drugs. Because of this, more drug users may face the threat of a fatal overdose due to trace amounts of cychlorphine.
Cychlorphine’s uniquely strong potency means that its users are more likely to overdose faster than they would with other drugs. Furthermore, reversing an overdose from the drug might involve multiple doses of naloxone (or Narcan) because of its strength.
Because of its recent appearance on the drug market, little is known about the full effects of cychlorphine. While findings suggest that the drug may be stronger and more threatening than fentanyl, more research needs to be done to confirm cychlorphine’s full effects.
The rise of cychlorphine indicates a growth in the trend of substances being mixed with more dangerous and life-threatening opioids. As the drug market becomes infiltrated by fatal substances, more and more people are at risk of dying from an overdose.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
