Fentanyl kills in tiny amounts.
But now a new drug is showing up that may be even more potent. N-propionitrile chlorphine, or cychlorphine for short.
Investigators in a neighboring state say it’s linked to dozens of deaths.
We went into the morgue in Knoxville, Tennessee to talk to the Chief Officer of the Forensic Center.
Chris Thomas says autopsy blood tests are showing “an exceedingly low amount,” of the chemical,
“Very, very potent,” Thomas said. “This is 10 times more powerful than fentanyl.”
Advocate Cammie Wolf Rice lost her son Christopher to an opioid addiction in 2016; now, she’s an advocate for awareness and safety.
“It’s becoming more powerful and more dangerous,” Wolf Rice said. ”To hear that it’s out there now and it’s up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl is unimaginable to me.”
She says taking one pill now, is more dangerous than ever.
“I think experimenting with drugs has been around for as many years as we even know about, right?” Wolf Rice said. ”It’s just that it’s deadly now.”
Lt. Josh Shaffer with the Knoxville Police Department says novelty chemicals are being “cut” into street drugs because they’re cheaper and not technically illegal.
“From a law enforcement standpoint, it’s more probable that this drug is entering the flow outside of the United States because the whole purpose of doing it is to avoid detection,” Shaffer said.
As part of WSB’s Continuing Coverage of Georgia’s Opioid Crisis, we also went into the Drug Enforcement Administration on-site lab in Atlanta, where scientists can quickly test contraband seized in federal raids.
Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung says the fight against fentanyl is making progress. But now they are also on the lookout for dangerous synthetics, including nitazines and cychlorphine.
“When you are taking a pill, you really don’t know what’s in it, and you really are playing Russian Roulette with your life,” Chung said. ”Some of these pills look even better than what you would get at the pharmacies.”
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office told us they are supportive of the DEA’s efforts, and work to update laws as new drugs come online in Georgia.
The Christpoher Wolf Alliance helps people at risk through education and wellness support. In addition to losing her son, Cammie Wolf Rice also lost her brother.
She tells young people to carry the overdose-reversing nasal spray, Naloxone, and to be aware of the dangers.
“It’s a chemical warfare attack on our country,” Wolf Rice said. “It’s happening right in our backyard. And not a gunshot is being shot, but yet our young people are dying.”
Read more on Georgia’s opioid crisis: WSB-TV presents: Georgia’s Opioid Crisis – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta
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