KQED's Forum

Teen Overdose Confirms Arrival of Deadly Opioid in San Francisco

September 16, 2026·54 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

A 16-year-old boy from San Francisco died in April from the city’s first confirmed overdose involving cychlorphine . The synthetic opioid is considered much more potent than fentanyl, which is already more potent than heroin and other opiates. It has killed dozens of people across the country since 2024. This week, San Francisco police announced they had arrested four suspects accused of supplying the deadly pills in the overdose case. We’ll talk about San Francisco’s  response so far, -and what the arrival of this deadly drug means for a city that has struggled with more than 4,000 drug overdose deaths since 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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