A Teen's Death Sparks a Warning About a Drug 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl
Just when we thought the dangers of fentanyl couldn't get much worse, health officials began tracking another synthetic opioid in the nation's illegal drug supply.
It's called cychlorphine, and federal officials say it can be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
The drug has already been connected to dozens of deaths in the country.
Now, the overdose and death of a 16-year-old boy in San Francisco is putting the spotlight on a threat many of us have never even heard of.
Warning Issued Over Opioid 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) issued a national warning about cychlorphine in April.
The agency linked the synthetic opioid to at least 55 fatal overdoses in the U.S. between 2025 and 2026.
Officials also said cychlorphine can be up to 10 times as potent as fentanyl.
The cychlorphine deaths warning is particularly concerning because the drug may appear with fentanyl or other substances.
Someone doesn't necessarily have to go looking for it to find it.
A 16-Year-Old's Death Brought New Attention to the Drug
Cychlorphine was already on the federal government's radar when a death in San Francisco showed just how far the drug had spread.
According to The New York Times, Dante Lacourte died in his San Francisco home on April 7th. He was only 16 years old.
His autopsy identified cychlorphine as one of the drugs in his system.
Dante Lacourte's overdose death became the first known fatal overdose involving cychlorphine in San Francisco.
His case also led police into a months-long investigation of the local drug supply.
On September 8th and 9th, officers served search warrants in three homes and arrested four people on narcotics and firearms charges.
Police say they recovered over 20,000 counterfeit pills, along with other drugs and several firearms.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Cychlorphine Is Part of a Larger Drug Family
So, what is cychlorphine, the drug now drawing so much attention?
Its full name is N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, a synthetic opioid in a group of drugs known as orphines.
Like other synthetic opioids, it can turn up by itself or be mixed with other drugs in an unregulated supply.
That uncertainty is a major part of the danger. A counterfeit pill may look familiar while containing something very different from what the person taking it expects.
10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl
Calling something an opioid stronger than fentanyl should get our attention.
But, cychlorphine adds another level of uncertainty because very little is known about how it behaves in people.
ONDCP says an overdose may require multiple doses of naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan.
The DEA has issued similar guidance. They’re telling people to call 911 right away if someone has overdosed and to administer more than one dose of Narcan, if necessary.
Cychlorphine Hasn't Stayed in One Part of the Country
This isn't a drug confined to one city.
Officials have seen some of the highest numbers in:
Ohio
Tennessee
Texas
Federal information published in August says cychlorphine had been confirmed in 225 law enforcement seizures in 19 domestic jurisdictions.
So, when it comes to cychlorphine and the states detected, the picture continues to change as new cases are identified.
The DEA Has Now Put Cychlorphine in Schedule I
The federal response has changed quickly, too.
In their August 27th notice, the DEA temporarily placed cychlorphine and three other synthetic opioids into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
The agency said the drugs presented an imminent hazard to public safety, and have no accepted medical use in the United States.
Counterfeit Pills Make the Risk Harder to See
The DEA also said that synthetic substances can be mixed into counterfeit pills or fentanyl powder without people knowing their taking them.
That's why the agency advises against any pills that weren’t prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy.
The warning isn't simply about cychlorphine, either.
It's about an illegal drug supply that can change faster than we can learn the names of what's inside.
An Emerging Threat That's Still Being Tracked
There’s still a lot that researchers don't know about cychlorphine, including how widely it’s circulating today.
But, officials have issued warnings, the DEA has temporarily placed it in Schedule I, and government labs are continuing to track where it appears.
For families like the Lacourtes, though, those warnings came after an unimaginable loss.
Cychlorphine may be a new name to many of us. But, unfortunately, it's no longer a new problem.
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