I previously stated something to the effect of bath salt
zombies and addiction would be the catalyst for the end of the world as we know
it. It seems I’m on the right
track. A friend recently posted about
googling the effects of krokodil.
Sounded interesting so I had to know what it was.
A couple hours later I was eyeball deep in the Russian drug
scene. Recent law changes have tightened
the flow of heroine in from Afghanistan and made it much harder to come
by. While here stateside, amateur chemists are busy cooking meth, Russian “make-your-dope-at-home” addicts are
responsible for the invasion of a drug referred to as Krokodil.
The drug’s reptilian name comes from it’s immediate effect
of turning the skin flaky and greenish.
Users eventually end up looking like zombies, with sores continuing to
literally eat away their flesh all the way to the bone. The images and videos that follow are about
as graphic as it gets, you’ve been warned.
That used to be an arm. |
Krokodil is actually a synthetic form of morphine, actually
called Desomorphine. The drug was discovered in 1932 and was intended to be a substitute
for morphine. It’s use was quickly
discontinued when it was found to be much more addictive than morphine. Russian addicts desperate for a fix have been
cooking up their own recipe of krokodil.
Especially in isolated and poor regions of the country, addicts
continually go about the process of distilling and boiling that takes about an
hour. Krokodil’s effects, similar to that of heroine,
only lasts for up to an hour. The life
of a user often consists of a continuous cycle of cooking and using.
Actual person, not a Walking Dead extra. |
Codeine tablets are available over the counter in
Russia. They’re krokodil’s main
ingredient, cooked together with match tips, gas, paint-thinner, lighter fluid,
and iodine. Yeah. When produced in a lab with proper equipment,
the drug is clean. When made with
makeshift tools, it’s byproducts are as toxic and corrosive as they come. The solution is
injected by users. While it gives them
their fix for a short period of time, injection sites soon develop into large
sores, which only grow. Gangrene, meningitis,
and irreversible brain damage are common.
The life expectancy of a person once they use drops to two to three
years.
When heroine users try to kick the habit they will experience
withdrawal for 3-5 days. Krokodil users
face up to 30 days of physical and mental anguish. While the drug seems to have exploded in
Russia, it’s spreading throughout Europe.
Cases have been reported in Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic,
Belgium, Germany, and several other countries.
Bad economies further the plight of addicts across the
world. In desperation, they turn to any
means available to get their fix and not be sick. The bath salt attacks here in the U.S.
recently, and the effects of krokodil in Russia further the need to fund more
rehabilitation programs. Otherwise, a
dystopian future populated with lethargic addicts walking around with
their flash rotting of isn’t that far off.
For more graphic effects of krokodil use, see the following videos:
Man's leg amputated/sawed in two. Gruesome.
Guy's nasty arm and girl's unbelieveable deterioration.
Not for the squeamish after the 5 minute mark.
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Wow. That's scary. Are there any instances of the use of this drug in the US or has it not made it's way to the ignorant here yet?
ReplyDeleteFrom what i've read the DEA is just afraid that it will eventually make its way here. The use of codeine as the main ingredient would make it hard to come by, as you have to have a prescription for it here. However, I'm not sure the drug laws in Mexico and Canada are as tight, making it a possibility.
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