A recent report from Toronto’s Drug Checking Service revealed the presence of a new opioid in the city’s unregulated drug supply, raising concerns about users unknowingly consuming it. The report disclosed that cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid, was identified in three counterfeit pharmaceutical opioid samples collected in downtown Toronto and the west end area between October 25 and 28. Contrary to expectations, the samples, purported to be hydromorphone (Dilaudid), oxycodone (OxyContin), and Percocet, all tested positive only for cychlorphine.
Karen McDonald, the executive director of Toronto’s Drug Checking Service, highlighted the alarming trend of cychlorphine appearing in fake pharmaceutical opioids without users’ awareness. She emphasized that cychlorphine’s potency and effects remain unknown, but similar opioids are as potent as fentanyl. The report emphasized that the risk of overdose varies depending on the cychlorphine’s strength and quantity used.
Despite the presence of cychlorphine in the samples, no overdoses have been linked to it so far, McDonald confirmed. The synthetic opioid was first detected in a Percocet sample on September 12, with prior instances of Health Canada identifying it in seized drug samples from law enforcement in Ontario.
McDonald stressed the importance of raising awareness about the existence of this new drug in Toronto and educating the public about its potential presence in pharmaceutical opioids. She underlined the effectiveness of naloxone in reversing the effects of cychlorphine and similar opioids during overdose situations.
According to data from the Office of the Chief Coroner, over 2,200 Ontarians lost their lives to opioids last year, marking a 15% decrease from 2023. The mortality rate from opioid overdoses in 2024 stood at 14.3 deaths per 100,000 individuals, with fentanyl and related substances contributing to over 83% of opioid toxicity deaths, and stimulants being present in 69% of the fatalities.
