Ten times more potent than morphine and cheaper than heroin, this codeine-based drug, Krokodil gets its name from the physical effects it has on users. The skin on the limbs of users, where the drug is injected, becomes scaly like the skin of a crocodile.
The use of paint thinners and gasoline to make Krokodil (crocodile in Russian) contribute to the corrosive effects it has on the body, leading to gangrene. This drug rots meat to the bone, making users look like real "zombies".
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Krokodil is a new drug that appeared in Russia around 2002. It began to be used in Siberia and has spread throughout the country since then. While many drugs are quite quickly addictive and physically harmful, Krokodil sets a new standard for the rapid destruction of mind, spirit, and body. In 2013, the first reports of its use began in the US..
The medical name for the drug is desomorphine. It is made at home with codeine, sold over the counter for headaches, and cooked with paint thinner, gasoline, hydrochloric acid, iodine, and red phosphorus from matches. The resulting liquid is injected into a vein. The effects of this drug last from 90 minutes to two hours, and it takes about half an hour to make the drug. So it is quite easy for a Krokodil addict to get the ingredients and cook the drug..
In Russia there is a serious problem with heroin addiction, but when a heroin addict can no longer afford the drug, they can make up for it with Krokodil, which has a stronger effect and costs about a tenth of the price. But while the life expectancy of a heroin addict in Moscow is four to seven years, the life expectancy of a Krokodil addict is only one or two years..
Krokodil is believed to account for about half of all drug-related addictions and deaths in Russia. And in some areas, Krokodil has almost replaced opiates as the drug of choice..
Krokodil gets its name due to the fact that the drug causes an addict's skin to turn green, scaly, and ridged like a crocodile's. If the drug is not injected into a vein and injected into the meat, the meat develops large abscesses. It is common for addicts to develop gangrene and require amputations. The flesh of some parts of the body affected by the Krokodil injections rot completely, exposing the bone.
Withdrawal is very difficult and painful, much worse than heroin. Heroin can cause discomfort and pain for up to ten days, but Krokodil withdrawal can cause a month of excruciating pain. Extremely strong tranquilizers are used during withdrawal, for which the addict does not suffer as much pain.
Doctors who deal with addicts say that this is the strongest level of addiction and the most difficult to cure. If a person manages to be clean of Krokodil, permanent damage may remain, such as an inability to speak, a vacant gaze, and erratic movements..
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