© 2026 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
91.7 FM Bay Area. Originality Never Sounded So Good.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Click here to stream the SFUSD School Board Meeting starting at 6:30 p.m on April 28th.

San Francisco issues health alert on new deadly street drugs

Scattered pills, free public domain CC0 photo
rawpixel.com
/
KALW
San Francisco recorded its first overdose death from two new street drugs, "iso" (a.k.a. "tony") and cychlorphine, in April 2026.

San Francisco’s Department of Public Health issued an alert about N-desethyl-isotonitazine, also known as “Iso” and Tony,” and N-propionitrile chlorphine, also known as “cychlorphine."

They are both opioids that are undetectable using test strips and do not contain fentanyl. Cychlorphine is ten times more powerful.

They are found in counterfeit pills that are not manufactured by licensed pharmaceutical companies but appear the same as the licensed version. The counterfeit pills contain varying levels of the opioids.

The Department of Public Health says even one pill can be lethal. The safest approach is to use only those medications issued by a pharmacy.

Stafford is a 2026 Audio Academy Fellow