Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order on Tuesday that banned the sale and use of nine synthetic opioids in Ohio.

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The order authorizes the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to classify them as Schedule I controlled substances, banning their sale and use in Ohio, according to the governor’s spokesperson.

DeWine said these nine synthetic opioids are also known as nitazenes.

They were initially developed decades ago as potential alternatives for morphine that were never approved for medical use.

Now, the new nitazine compound is increasingly being found in the illicit drug supply in Ohio.

“These are extremely dangerous substances being designed by clandestine chemists in an attempt to skirt the law while keeping them highly addictive,” said Governor DeWine in a statement. “My administration is doing everything in our power to rapidly detect and schedule these types of compounds to ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need to prosecute those who make and sell these potentially lethal substances to the fullest extent of the law.”

He added that the nitazenes are often more potent than other Schedule I opioids like heroin or fentanyl and present an elevated risk of negative outcomes caused by unintentional drug poisonings, including death.