KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A new synthetic opioid has now been linked to 16 deaths in East Tennessee, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center announced Thursday morning.
Previously, the forensic center shared that there had been nine overdose deaths involving the new drug N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, or cychlorphine for short, between late October and December 2025. According to the center, preliminary toxicology reports linked seven more deaths to the drug as of mid-January.
The Knox County Regional Forensic Center shared in an update Friday that there is a misconception that Tennessee is leading the nation in deaths from the cychlorphine, and the higher number is because the state, particularly Knox County, is a leader in testing for the drug…