In August, the US Drug Enforcement Administration designated cychlorphine as temporary Schedule I drug, making it illegal in the United States.
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It’s an unfamiliar name that comes up in alerts from state medical examiners, local law enforcement and college campuses: cychlorphine.

The synthetic opioid has been linked to at least 122 deaths in the US since July 2025, and in April, the Office of National Drug Control Policy identified it as an “emerging drug threat.”