What is Krokodil?
Krokodil is the street name for opiate drug desomorphine; this opiate drug was first patented in the United States in 1932. This drug is about 6x more powerful than morphine. Krokodil first began being noticeably abused in Russia in 2010; isolated reports began trickling in 2003. It is a very dangerous and addicting drug. It received its street name from the crocodile skin. User’s skin begins to die at the localized site of injection; it turns a greenish color and becomes scaly. With continued use, the death of the skin spreads to other areas. It eventually begins to rot and literally fall off of the bone. Many people have described users as looking like walking zombies. Gangrene, often with amputation, is common. For those users who have not died from overdose, the life expectancy with continued use is typically two to three years at the maximum.
What is the appeal of Krokodil for users?
Krokodil is typically a homemade drug without any purification or sanitation before injecting the drug. This makes it particularly lethal. What makes this drug enticing to some people, particularly heroin users, is the price. Heroin can cost up to $150.00 per injection; Krokodil is around $8.00 for the same effect. Heroin highs can last for several hours whereas a Krokodil high only lasts two hours at a maximum. Codeine is the main ingredient in homemade Krokodil; codeine requires a prescription in the United States but it is an over the counter medication in Russia. Iodine is the other key ingredient in this lethal drug. Lighter fluid and cleaning oils, preferably the industrial grade kinds, are also used.
Krokodil being introduced to the US.
Up until 2013 Krokodil use was pretty confined to Russia and limited parts of Europe; however, in September 2013, the first confirmed case of Krokodil use was confirmed in the United States in Phoenix, Arizona. For parents of older children and teenagers in the United States this can potentially be a terrifying fact. Once a drug is introduced into a certain geographical area it is very hard to eradicate it from the area; most drugs pick up in popularity at an alarming rate. It is not currently really big in the United States; however, that could change quickly at any point in time. It is important to be aware of where the problem is and teach drug prevention to the youth of today.
