Published: 10/19/2026 | Author: Courtney Myers

Ohio officials now contend with a synthetic opioid that most folks haven’t heard of until an overdose hits. Nearly 50 overdoses in the last three months involved cychlorphine, which is 100x deadlier than fentanyl.

Even though Ohio has many programs to battle drugs, including Narcotics Anonymous programs on the ground, new drugs up the ante. These cases represent the latest chapter in an opioid addiction crisis that keeps mutating faster than public awareness.

The Opioid Crisis in The Buckeye State

Synthetic opioids already drive the majority of U.S. overdose deaths. Cychlorphine first surfaced in August 2024 and has since surfaced in pills and in powders disguised as other street drugs. 

Cychlorphine is a synthetic opioid in the nitrile class and binds powerfully to opioid receptors to suppress breathing. But there’s a hitch. “There’s no smell. There’s no color. You can’t detect it,” staff at the Recovery Institute of Ohio relayed, noting that standard fentanyl test strips don’t pick it up.

Jessica Danner of TruHealing in Cincinnati noted clinicians are seeing the compound arrive alongside other street drugs. “Cychlorphine is the new wave.”

Naloxone Still Works

Since cychlorphine acts on opioid receptors, naloxone can reverse an overdose involving it. But a single standard dose may not be enough against a drug this potent. The guidance remains the same:

• Give naloxone immediately if an overdose is suspected and give additional doses if the person doesn’t respond.
• Call 911 every time. Overdose reversal bought by naloxone is temporary.
• Ohio’s Good Samaritan protections apply when someone seeks emergency help during an overdose.

Enroll in NA

Another option is to use medications for opioid use disorder to blunt cravings and block the lethal respiratory effects of street opioids. 

Start with Narcotics Anonymous to find solidarity among your peers. Meetings are free and open to all. To get started, simply browse our directory for chapters anywhere in the USA.

 For guidance for local options, dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to chat with an expert.