The Independent reported Friday that Los Angeles County health officials had confirmed cychlorphine in the county’s illicit drug supply after a February fatal overdose, warning that fentanyl strips cannot detect the opioid.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the February overdose marked the county’s first verified detection, according to the report. Officials described cychlorphine, also known as N-propionitrile chlorphine, as substantially more potent than fentanyl but gave no precise comparison.
Fentanyl strips do not detect cychlorphine, which can be present in illicit substances without a user’s knowledge. The drug has been found in powders, counterfeit prescription pills, liquids and rock-like crystals.
County health officials put the number of states where cychlorphine has been detected at 19, following its first identification in the U.S. illicit drug market in 2024, The Independent reported. The outlet also reported another cychlorphine-related death in Northern California in April.
Health authorities said naloxone can reverse an overdose involving cychlorphine, though more than one dose may be needed. For a suspected overdose, officials advised calling 911, administering naloxone and following emergency responders’ instructions. The Independent reported that Los Angeles County residents can access free cychlorphine drug checking through Drug Checking Los Angeles, with results in about 15 to 20 minutes. Local health authorities are monitoring the supply.
