LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County has confirmed its first death caused by cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid more potent than fentanyl that cannot be detected by standard fentanyl test strips.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued the warning after the county Medical Examiner identified the drug as the cause of a death that occurred in February 2026. Health officials said the case is the first confirmation that cychlorphine has entered the local illicit drug supply.
The Los Angeles death follows another cychlorphine death reported in Northern California in April 2026. Public Health said it is monitoring for changes in how widespread the drug is in the county, noting that cychlorphine has been more common in other parts of the U.S.
Cychlorphine, also known as N-propionitrile chlorphine, may be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. County health officials warned that a very small amount can cause someone to stop breathing.
The drug is not detected by fentanyl test strips, and it is being mixed into the illicit drug supply without users’ knowledge. It has been found in powders, counterfeit pills made to look like prescription medication, rocks or crystals, and liquids.
Cychlorphine belongs to a class of synthetic opioids known as orphines, which also includes brorphine, spirochlorphine and chlorphine. As Emily’s Hope reported earlier this month, doctors with UVA Health warn that a negative fentanyl test does not mean a drug is safe.
The drug has been in the U.S. illicit drug supply since 2024 and has now been detected in 19 states, according to Los Angeles County Public Health. In August 2026, the Drug Enforcement Administration classified cychlorphine as a Schedule I drug, making it illegal to possess or sell. It has never been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any medical use.
Earlier this year, the ONDCP issued a national drug threat notice linking cychlorphine to at least 55 deaths at the time. The drug was identified in 106 reports across 10 states in 2025, compared with one report in 2024, with the highest numbers in Ohio, Texas and Tennessee. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center in Tennessee alone reported at least 41 overdose deaths involving cychlorphine between July 2025 and February 2026, Emily’s Hope reported.
The DEA has described the nation’s drug supply as an “unprecedented and evolving drug threat,” as traffickers mix fentanyl with increasingly potent synthetic substances.
Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, can reverse a cychlorphine overdose and restore breathing, county health officials said. The nasal spray and injectable forms are equally effective, but multiple doses may be necessary.
The risk of death rises sharply when opioids like cychlorphine are combined with alcohol, sedatives, sleeping medications or other drugs, officials said.
Public Health said the safest choice is to avoid illicit substances altogether. For people who use drugs, the department urges them to:
- Never use alone, and use with someone who can call 911 and give naloxone.
- Start with a small amount and go slowly.
- Avoid mixing opioids with alcohol, sedatives or sleeping medications.
- Carry naloxone and call 911 immediately in an emergency.
In Los Angeles County, drug samples can be tested for cychlorphine for free in about 15 to 20 minutes through Drug Checking LA. Naloxone nasal spray is available at county Community Health Stations, Public Health Centers, retail pharmacies and through medical providers.
The DEA advises people never to take a pill that was not prescribed to them and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy. Free naloxone locations in South Dakota, Kansas and Iowa are listed on the Emily’s Hope website.
