Ohio Reports Significant Rise in Deadly Carfentanil and Emerging Synthetic Opioids in 2025

Ohio is facing a significant resurgence in dangerous synthetic opioids, particularly carfentanil, a drug approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost reported that carfentanil was identified in 199 drug samples in 2025, a sharp increase from previous years, spreading across 46 counties with a concentration in central and northwestern Ohio. This lethal opioid appears in various forms and colors and is often mixed with other substances such as fentanyl, cocaine, meth, and xylazine, complicating overdose treatment. Law enforcement has also warned about a new variant called "purple fentanyl," which is mixed with lidocaine, making Narcan less effective in reversing overdoses. Additionally, a new synthetic opioid named cychlorphine has emerged in Ohio, linked to overdose cases requiring multiple doses of Narcan for revival. These developments underscore the growing complexity and danger of Ohio's opioid crisis, prompting warnings from officials and increased outreach efforts for harm reduction.