KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – A new, synthetic opioid called N-Propionitrile Chlorphine has been involved in at least 41 deaths in East Tennessee, as experts around the country warn it’s been increasingly linked to overdoses in recent months.
The drug, also known as cychlorphine, was first identified less than two years ago in a lab. It’s thought to be as 10 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education.
Since mid-2025, it has been increasingly linked to overdose deaths. It was included in the toxicology of at least 41 deaths in eleven Tennessee counties between July 2025 and February 2026…