Potent new street drug triggers health alert in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – An extremely powerful illegal drug called cychlorphine is killing people in several states, including a teenager in California. Hawaii health officials say it’s only a matter of time before deaths from the drug occur on the islands.

Cychlorphin is a laboratory-made opioid that is up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug has been detected in California, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Nevada, with deaths in double digits in some areas.

Earlier this month, San Francisco police announced the arrests of four suspected drug dealers following the death of a 16-year-old who overdosed after taking counterfeit pills containing cychlorphine.

Hawaii officials on alert

Gary Yabuta, of the Hawaii High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, said the synthetic opioid was first identified on the East Coast two years ago and has spread westward. Hawaii is usually two years behind when it comes to drug trends.

“Sooner or later it will be here,” Yabuta said.

Yabuta said his agency was working with Honolulu medical examiner Dr. Masahiko Kobayashi, who requested that the NMS, the toxicology laboratory, put cychlorphine on its red alert list.

Dr. James Ireland of the Honolulu Department of Emergency Services said cychlorphine is illegal and dangerous.

“We really don’t want people to die, especially young children who are experimenting with drugs, maybe even for the first time,” Ireland said.

Origins of the drug

Pharmaceutical companies invented a version of cychlorphin in the 1960s in the laboratory, but it never made it to market because it caused respiratory distress. The new road version was first identified in the United States in 2024.

It is sold primarily through social media apps, disguised as other drugs like Adderall and oxycodone.

Jae Chung, special agent in charge of the Atlanta DEA, said it is dangerous to purchase drugs outside of legitimate medical channels.

“If you don’t get it from a legitimate doctor or pharmacy, you’re really playing Russian roulette with your life,” Chung said.

Response to overdoses

Naloxone, or Narcan, can reverse an overdose, but medical experts say that with such a powerful drug, it must be administered immediately and one dose is usually not enough.

“It starts the therapy,” but Ireland said it’s probably not enough to wake the person up. Ireland said the patient needed the injectable form that paramedics carry.”

Ireland said anyone who suspects a narcotics overdose should call 911 and administer Narcan if it is available.

Field drug tests used by law enforcement cannot distinguish cyclophine from other variants of fentanyl, which is why first responders say there will be a delay before they know it is in Hawaii.