Volunteers and rough sleepers in London are living in fear as a new, extremely potent synthetic opioid suspected in multiple deaths circulates on the streets. Charity workers from Streets Kitchen, who provide meals and support in Keir Starmer's constituency, report a growing sense of dread with each new overdose story.
A Silent Killer on the Streets
The drug at the centre of the crisis is cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid reported to be 200 times stronger than heroin. For months, it has been secretly mixed into other hard drugs and counterfeit pills sold across the capital. Elodie Berland, a Streets Kitchen volunteer, expressed the grim reality: "More often than not, we are now wondering which friend we have lost after hearing another tale that someone has overdosed."
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed three deaths in Camden within a single month linked to the substance: a man in his 50s on October 30, a woman in her 40s on November 14, and another man in his 40s on November 23. However, the true death toll is believed to be much higher.
Widespread Contamination and Global Origins
According to the charity Change Grow Live (CGL), an estimated 13 people have died in London over the past year due to cychlorphine. An inquest revealed that one victim, Oscar Brown, died in March, and ten others were hospitalised the same day from the same contaminated batch.
Buyers are rarely seeking cychlorphine directly. Dealers use the white powder to bulk out heroin or to produce fake pharmaceutical drugs like oxycodone. Alarmingly, charity workers warn it has also been found in cocaine supplies. The drug is believed to originate from production labs in China or India, where its chemical structure is slightly altered from banned nitazines to circumvent legal restrictions. This shift followed the Taliban's ban on opium production in Afghanistan, which reduced global heroin supply and pushed criminal networks towards synthetic alternatives.
Enforcement and Urgent Warnings
In a major crackdown, the Metropolitan Police have arrested and charged 11 people for conspiring to supply Class A drugs linked to cychlorphine. Raids seized large quantities of drugs, over £20,000 in cash, gold bullion, and weapons including a sawn-off shotgun.
Despite these efforts, the threat persists. The drug is easy to smuggle as it lacks a strong odour, making detection by sniffer dogs difficult. Furthermore, CGL warns that deaths are likely under-recorded because coroners and hospitals do not routinely test for synthetic opioids. "The information that is out there on cychlorphine is limited, we really do not know much about it yet," the charity stated.
Volunteers from Streets Kitchen criticise the delayed public information, suggesting Camden, with its high levels of addiction and homelessness, is treated as a "testing ground" for new substances. They emphasise that homeless and vulnerable people are at extreme risk from contaminated supplies.
CGL continues to urge all drug users to carry naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses and save lives. They stress that accidental exposure is increasingly common as cychlorphine is mixed into various drugs and sold through everyday platforms, not just the dark web. "The reality of the situation is it is just like any other drug," CGL stated, highlighting the pervasive and hidden danger now present in London's drug supply.
