Teen Autopsy Marks the Arrival of a Deadly Drug in San Francisco

A 16-year-old boy, Dante Paul Lacourte, died in San Francisco on April 7 after officials said a synthetic opioid had emerged. His mother, Christina Lacourte, found him with visible veins, bluish face, and black fluid coming from his nose and mouth; she used two doses of Narcan but he was not revived, before calling 911. An autopsy report later cited “cychlorphine,” a term that appeared only once on a San Francisco coroner’s report. Seventeen days after the death, health officials warned the drug was deadlier than fentanyl. Experts say cychlorphine is about 10 times as potent, and standard fentanyl test strips may not detect it.