At Least 41 Dead From Drug Stronger Than Fentanyl
A new drug is emerging on the drug scene, causing an increase in overdoses. Cychlorphine is a “designer drug,” a synthetic opioid. It’s touted as being four to 10 times as potent than fentanyl, making it easy to overdose on. This drug is not FDA-approved, and there is scant evidence about its safety.
The Center for Forensic Science Research and Education says that these types of drugs first emerged in the recreational drug markets in 2020 and are the cause of the uptick in fatal drug overdoses, according to toxicology reports. Users may not realize they're taking it because it can be mixed in with other drugs like heroin.
Which States Are Hit Hardest By the Cychlorphine Crisis?
Some parts of East Tennessee are being hit pretty hard. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center linked this party drug to at least 41 deaths across 11 counties between July 2025 and February 2026.
“What’s especially troubling is that cychlorphine may have been circulating far longer than we know,” said Chris Thomas, chief administrative officer and director of the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, in a Facebook post. “And I’ve said this before; we don’t know if it’s contained to a limited supply or one bad batch, or if it’s representative of a longer-term shift in the drug supply. That’s what is really concerning.”
“It has never been more dangerous to take street-level drugs than right now,” Thomas added.
Health officials in Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and South Carolina have also issued warnings. The drug appears easy to obtain, and it’s spreading to other areas.
Serious Health Risks
Synthetic opioids are the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. Because the user may not know the dosage they are taking, their respiratory can quickly shut down, making it impossible to breathe.
It May be Resistant to Narcan
Narcan may not work on people who overdose, according to police in Tennessee. Because it is chemically different than fentanyl, the fentanyl test strips will not detect it.