Flesh-Eating Drug Circulating in Arizona
- 11 years ago
One might think people would steer clear of a drug that’s been named Krokodil because it causes the user’s skin to scale, turn green and rot - and yet, they don’t.
One might think people would steer clear of a drug that’s been named Krokodil because it causes the user’s skin to scale, turn green and rot - and yet, they don’t.
Two cases of the drug’s flesh-eating after effects have been reported in Arizona.
They are believed to be the first documented instances in the US, but occurrences have been common in Russia, the drug’s birthplace, for about a decade.
Krokodil is made by combining codeine with the hydrocarbons of the maker’s choice. Gasoline, paint thinner, and hydrochloric acid are all popular agents.
The mixture is then filtered, boiled, and injected.
Much of the dangerous liquid gets evaporated in the process, but traces remain.
When the drug is taken, those remnants can cause ruptured blood vessels and dead flesh to occur around the injection site.
Large areas of dead skin are a gateway to dire consequences that include infections and amputations.
The drug’s popularity in Russia has been largely attributed to codeine being an over the counter drug there.
Drugs like heroin and Oxycontin are cheap and available in the US, so it was previously thought that Krokodil would not surface in the States.
One might think people would steer clear of a drug that’s been named Krokodil because it causes the user’s skin to scale, turn green and rot - and yet, they don’t.
Two cases of the drug’s flesh-eating after effects have been reported in Arizona.
They are believed to be the first documented instances in the US, but occurrences have been common in Russia, the drug’s birthplace, for about a decade.
Krokodil is made by combining codeine with the hydrocarbons of the maker’s choice. Gasoline, paint thinner, and hydrochloric acid are all popular agents.
The mixture is then filtered, boiled, and injected.
Much of the dangerous liquid gets evaporated in the process, but traces remain.
When the drug is taken, those remnants can cause ruptured blood vessels and dead flesh to occur around the injection site.
Large areas of dead skin are a gateway to dire consequences that include infections and amputations.
The drug’s popularity in Russia has been largely attributed to codeine being an over the counter drug there.
Drugs like heroin and Oxycontin are cheap and available in the US, so it was previously thought that Krokodil would not surface in the States.