Officials warn cychlorphine has reached the Southeast and central Kentucky
Officials in Kentucky, the Carolinas and Tennessee are warning about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid reportedly up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl. Authorities say it has been tied to overdose deaths and may require more Narcan to reverse overdoses.
Cychlorphine has been detected in central Kentucky and officials across the Southeast are warning that the new synthetic opioid is linked to overdose deaths in eastern Tennessee and a reported death in South Carolina. Authorities say the drug is reportedly up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, can be easily placed into other substances that the user may not know they are ingesting, and may require more doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose.
The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security announced on Friday that cychlorphine had been detected in central Kentucky and was already contributing to overdose deaths in eastern Tennessee. Authorities said cychlorphine is frequently mixed with other illegal narcotics and that first responders, healthcare providers, and law enforcement should use extreme caution when handling unknown substances and use appropriate personal protective equipment.
In South Carolina, the state attorney general said one death has been reported in Richland County from cyclorphine, while 41 deaths have been reported in East Tennessee. The attorney general said the drug is far worse than any other synthetic drug in South Carolina and warned that it is 10 times more deadly than fentanyl and 50 to 100 times more deadly than heroin.
In western North Carolina, the McDowell County Sheriff's Office issued a warning about cychlorphine on April 15, saying it has been linked to multiple overdose deaths in eastern Tennessee. A captain with the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office said the biggest danger is that synthetic opioids can be easily placed into other substances that the user may not know they are ingesting, and that because cychlorphine is much more potent than fentanyl, smaller amounts can be deadly.
Officials and recovery workers said overdoses involving synthetic opioids can require more and more Narcan to help reverse the overdose. Authorities in North Carolina said they have not seen cychlorphine in Transylvania County yet, and the state crime lab said it has not seen any deaths in North Carolina caused by cychlorphine, though it is prepared to test for it if needed.
The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security urged the public to remain vigilant, avoid contact with unknown substances, and report suspicious activity to law enforcement. North Carolina authorities said their approach is to make people aware that the drug is out there, prepare them with Narcan training, share intelligence across agencies, track where these substances are coming from, and target and disrupt trafficking networks.