…of abuse to cope with. Nevertheless, it seems as if we’re about to get one anyway.
Now making an appearance in street samples, both in America and Europe: a synthetic opioid, cychlorphine by name, allegedly as much as 10 times as potent as fentanyl. That simply means that it will be highly effective at low concentrations, and it carries a risk for unintended overdose from tiny amounts.
Depending on how far and how fast the drug spreads (mostly in combination with heroin or cocaine), its presence should result in an upsurge in drug-related fatalities.
Like others of its type, cychlorphine originated in commercial labs in Southeast Asia and China, and was adopted by cartels for use in combination with better known drugs of abuse. In addition to powder form sold on the street, counterfeit pills have been found available for sale, including on the Internet.
Cychlorphine’s first appearances were in the Midwest, primarily Ohio. As usual, other areas quickly followed. Here’s a news story from one Tennessee broadcaster:
Deadly new opioid ‘cychlorphine’ linked to rising overdose deaths in Tennessee, experts warn
The drug has subsequently been detected in Canada and a number of European countries, including the UK.
One thing worth noting: cychlorphine has failed to show up on the usual drug screens. The cause of death may be attributed to one of the other substances, while cychlorphine goes undetected.
Last, but not least: because of cychlorphine‘s potency, more than a single dose of naloxone may well be required to reverse its effects in an overdose. If the drug is suspected, it’s probably a good idea to call for emergency assistance without delay.
Naturally I’d like to assure everyone that cychlorphine is the last of the so-called “novel” synthetics we will encounter, but it isn’t. There are more to come.
