San Francisco health officials rang the alarm Friday about a new synthetic opioid 10 times more potent than fentanyl that surfaced for the first time in an overdose victim earlier this month, prompting renewed warnings about the dangers of counterfeit pills.
The victim is believed to have consumed the synthetic opioid N-Propionitrile chlorphine, also known as cychlorphine, while taking counterfeit pills. Fentanyl test strips — commonly used to check illicit drugs for fentanyl — will not detect N-Propionitrile chlorphine, according to officials.
San Francisco Public Health Director Daniel Tsai said the death reinforces the notion that “even a single pill has the potential to be deadly.”…