{"id":885910,"date":"2026-10-17T21:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T21:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885910\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T21:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T21:20:09","slug":"urgent-warning-as-drug-10-times-more-powerful-than-fentanyl-claims-first-la-victim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885910\/","title":{"rendered":"Urgent warning as drug 10 times more powerful than fentanyl claims first LA victim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles health authorities have issued an urgent warning about an opioid that is 10 times more powerful than fentanyl<\/a> after it claimed its first victim in LA County.<\/p>\n

Officials with the LA Department of Public Health<\/a> said a fatality in February has been tied to the drug cychlorphine, a powerful synthetic opioid<\/a> like fentanyl and heroin.<\/p>\n

Authorities are warning about the drug\u2019s extreme potency<\/a>, which can kills users even in small doses.<\/p>\n

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Photos of cychlorphine, a new super opioid, found in Los Angeles and San Francisco. ABC7<\/p>\n

In April, San Francisco health officials tied a fatal overdose to cychlorphine, making it the first time the drug had been detected in the city.<\/p>\n

Officials warned that the drug is being mixed into the illicit drug supply without people knowing, saying it\u2019s currently undetectable by fentanyl testing strips.<\/p>\n

The powerful opioid has been known to be in the US drug supply since 2024 and has been detected in 19 states.<\/p>\n

Photos show cyclorphine, a new super opioid. ABC7<\/p>\n

A man sleeps on the street floor at Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. Pedro Colo for CA Post<\/p>\n

Authorities warn that cychlorphine is not confined to pills and can be hidden across multiple street drugs, making detection and avoidance especially difficult.<\/p>\n

The drug has been found in liquids, rocks or crystals, powders and counterfeit tablets made to look like prescription medication, according to the health warning.<\/p>\n

The DEA classified cychlorphine as a Schedule I drug in August 2026, making it illegal to possess or sell, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the LA County Department of Health. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images<\/p>\n

To minimize the risk of sudden death, health officials urged residents to never use drugs alone, not to mix drugs, and to carry naloxone.<\/p>\n

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an opioid overdose and successfully restore breathing, according to county health officials.<\/p>\n

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