The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning the public about what it calls an “unprecedented and evolving drug threat,” driven largely by illicit fentanyl and a growing mix of dangerous synthetic substances.
“These combinations are making an already deadly drug supply even more unpredictable and lethal,” the DEA said in the advisory. “Today’s illicit drug supply is more dangerous, more deceptive, and more deadly than ever before. One pill, one try can kill.”
Public health officials say fentanyl is increasingly being mixed with highly potent substances, including veterinary tranquilizers like xylazine and medetomidine, as well as powerful synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and cychlorphine.
Earlier this month, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy issued a national drug threat notice for cychlorphine, a substance that can be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl and has been linked to at least 55 deaths.
The DEA says new forms of nitazenes often emerge when law enforcement and regulatory actions target existing drugs. Since 2020, the agency has identified 22 different nitazene compounds, with 21 now classified as Schedule I controlled substances.
“These emerging synthetic drugs can be significantly more powerful than fentanyl and greatly increase the risk of suffering a fatal overdose,” the DEA said.
Officials warn that many of these substances are being mixed into counterfeit pills or fentanyl powder without a user’s knowledge. Because of that, the DEA urges people to never take a pill that wasn’t prescribed to them and dispensed by a licensed pharmacy, and to assume any illicit drug could contain fentanyl or other deadly additives.
Xylazine has been linked to severe soft tissue damage, infections and prolonged sedation. Other synthetics can quickly slow or stop breathing.
Drugs like xylazine and medetomidine are not opioids, meaning naloxone may not fully reverse their effects. However, the DEA still strongly encourages people to carry naloxone and know how to use it, since many overdoses involve multiple substances.
In some cases, drugs like nitazenes and cychlorphine may require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse an overdose.
In any suspected overdose, officials say to administer naloxone if available and call 911 immediately. Time is critical.
