The first cases of a terrifying new
drug called 'Krokodil' that eats flesh from the inside out, is flammable
and leaves addicts with reptilian-like skin have been reported this
week in Arizona - and the state fears the beginning of an epidemic.Popular
in Russia, Krokodil is homemade, is three-times cheaper than heroin and
created by mixing codeine with gasoline or oil, filtering it and then
injecting the rancid concoction into the users body.Banner's
Poison Control Center most likely encountered the drug when two addicts
arrived in emergency rooms with their flesh hanging off their body,
exposing bone or with skin resembling that of a crocodile, hence its
name.'As far as I know, these are the first
cases in the United States that are reported. So we're extremely
frightened,' he continued.
Continual use of Krokodil causes
blood vessels to burst, leaving skin green and scaly among addicts
eventually causing gangrene and their flesh to begin to rot.Rabid
use in Russia has caused up to 2.5 million people to register and seek
treatment as addicts and the average life span for a user is only two to
three years.'When
drug users do it repeatedly, the skin sloughs. It causes hardening of
their skin. It will cause necrosis,' explained LoVecchio.LoVechhio says that the two cases he
has encountered are most likely linked and he declined to comment on the
appearance of the two users.
'Where there is smoke there is fire, and we're afraid there are going to be more and more cases,' said LoVechhio.
In Russia, Krokodil usage is spreading like a virus among young people and according to a Time magazine investigation, even those who manage to quit their addiction come away disfigured for life.
Some users in Russia develop brain damage and speech impediments in addition to the horrific scars.
Krokodil,
whose medical name is desomorphine, has the same mental effect as
heroin but is produced with over-the-counter codeine and mixed with
gasoline, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid and even the red phosphorous
scraped from the tips of matches.
Prevalent
in Siberia and the Russian Far East, the explosion of users began in
2002, but over the past five years in Russia, usage has trebled.
In 2011 alone, Russia's Federal Drug Control Service confiscated 65 million doses.
The
flesh rotting that is specific to Krokodil occurs directly at the
injection site which could be anywhere from the feet to the forehead to
the more traditional arms.
According
to Time magazine, 'Gangrene and amputations are a common result, while
porous bone tissue, especially in the lower jaw, often starts to
dissipate, eaten up by the drug's acidity.'
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