Ohio officials are warning the public about a continued increase in carfentanil and other synthetic opioid seizures, according to new data from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost addressed the issue, stating: “The amateur chemists who create these deadly drug combinations don’t care if you live or die. Here’s the deal: If you take drugs that weren’t prescribed by your doctor, you risk lethal exposure to synthetic opioids.”
In the first nine months of 2025, BCI forensic scientists found carfentanil in 199 items submitted for laboratory testing. The presence of carfentanil peaked in Ohio in 2017 with 1,119 identified samples but declined sharply over recent years. In 2023, it was confirmed in nine samples and rose to 40 in 2024. The latest figures indicate a broader spread across the state.
So far this year, samples containing carfentanil have come from 46 counties. Central and northwestern regions have seen the highest prevalence, while southern counties are experiencing a recent rise.
Carfentanil is a highly potent synthetic opioid—about 100 times stronger than fentanyl and roughly 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. While not approved for human use, veterinarians employ it to anesthetize large animals such as elephants. Carfentanil can appear alone or mixed with substances like fentanyl, xylazine, para-fluorofentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine or ketamine. It is available in several forms and colors.
Additionally, BCI recently detected a new opioid compound—N-propionitrile chlorphine (cychlorphine)—in Ohio. This rare synthetic opioid has effects similar to fentanyl and was seized after a non-fatal overdose incident in Fairfield (Butler County). First responders used several doses of Narcan to revive the individual; analysis showed the tan powder also contained fentanyl and xylazine.
Cychlorphine has rarely been identified in drug seizures either within Ohio or nationwide. According to information from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), other known incidents include an overdose case in Tennessee (July 2025) and a seizure in Florida (April 2024).
To date, BCI’s laboratory has analyzed approximately 65 different fentanyl compounds.
For further information on this issue or media inquiries contact Steve Irwin at 614-728-5417.
