Illegal drug chemists are keeping busy, not only in the United States but across the world, synthesizing new and more dangerous drugs seemingly on a daily basis. Desomorphine has gained attention because of its cheap black market synthesis in Russia, where it began being sold as “krokodil” (pronounced like “crocodile”) in 2010.
Krokodil, the flesh eating drug, is so named because the user’s skin becomes blackened, green and scaly at the injection site–like a crocodile’s–as blood vessels burst and the surrounding tissue dies. Gangrene and amputations are a frequent result.
One internist and addiction specialist says that “it’s a zombie drug — it literally kills you from the inside out. If you want way to die, this is a way to die.” In addition to the damage to the veins and soft tissue at the injection site, the drug also fails to dissolve completely in the blood and thus clumps in the veins. These clumps make their way to other places in the body and start to damage tissue.
Most users die within 2-3 years and in the later stages are plagued by decayed structure of the jaw and facial bones; rotting gums, ears, noses and lips; bone infections; ulcers on the forehead and skull as well as rotting and liver and kidney problems.
Desomorphine is synthesized from codeine, which is sold over-the-counter in Russia, using chemicals like hydrochloric acid, iodine and red phosphorous; strong alkalis such as Mr. Muscle, a kitchen and bathroom cleaner; and organic solvents such as gasoline or paint thinner. The result is a toxic mixture of unknown substances that costs only a third as much as street heroin.
Experts hypothesize that the drug first spread across Russia and Ukraine when heroin became less available. So far Russia is the only country in the world to see the drug grow into an epidemic.
Last month (October 2013) CNN reported that five people had been hospitalized in the Chicago suburb of Joliet, IL, after using krokodil; one of the patients lost significant portions of her leg. In the past three days there have been reports that krokodil has surfaced in Ohio, but authorities deny this.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has not documented any officially confirmed American cases of krokodil abuse. To have official confirmation, the Drug Enforcement Administration would need to have a sample of the drug that caused the problem.
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