The North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory continues to track the spread of cychlorphine, a dangerous synthetic opioid, across our region. Since our last update, cychlorphine has been confirmed in drug submissions from RAPIDES and WINN Parishes, bringing the total to seven parishes this year: Caddo, DeSoto, Ouachita, Natchitoches, Richland, Rapides, and Winn.

Cychlorphine is a synthetic opioid in the emerging “orphine” drug class. No human toxicity data are currently available, but laboratory studies indicate it may be up to FIVE TIMES more potent than fentanyl.

Since the first NLCL detection in a Caddo Parish case earlier this year, cychlorphine has been identified in multiple counterfeit pill types, including tablets made to look like prescription oxycodone (blue M30), hydrocodone (white M367, yellow T259), and NOW XANAX (blue “XANAX 1.0”), among others. These fake pills are made to look real. You cannot tell what is in a pill by looking at it.

Never take a pill that did not come from a licensed pharmacy. It is impossible to know what is in an illicit pill purchased off the street. One pill can kill, especially when that pill contains a potent synthetic opioid like cychlorphine.