New Opiate Called Krokodil Goes Beyond Russian Borders

It is repeated over and over again that new illicit drugs enter the marketplace all the time, and each one seems to be more dangerous. There is simply no way to predict what the drug manufacturers will come up with as they attempt to develop more powerful and appealing drugs. In 2011, the Australian news centers began to report on a new street drug called Krokodil because it was so powerful and so physically damaging that they wanted to warn the public. However, until recently this new type of opioid has been confined to Russia so people did not pay a lot of attention to the report. Now the news is reporting that Krokodil has moved beyond Russia’s shores, and anyone who thinks that Australia will bypass this trend does not fully understand the powerful allure of illicit drugs.

Standard drug tests recognise opioids which means Krokodil is detectable. One of the important characteristics of most illicit drugs is that they rely on ingredients like opioids, cannabis, amphetamines or their derivatives, hallucinogens, cocaine, and others. Many of the new street drugs appearing are variations of currently used drugs, which means current alcohol testing will detect them. Though there are synthetic drugs able to pass drug detection, the reality is that the traditional ingredients of original street drugs are the most powerful and thus the most popular.

A New Devastating High

In September 2011 a video and transcript was posted on the ABC News–Australia website that addressed the staggering illegal drug use in Russia and the appearance of Krokodil. Sadly, it was reported that Russia had over two million drug addicts using a variety of illegal drugs and was now dealing with a very dangerous homemade drug called Krokodil. Not a lot of people were paying attention because the drug was confined to Russia. Krokodil is a cheap, homemade cooked drug called desomorphine. This dangerous injected drug creates serious skin problems that begin at the point of injection. Actually, using the word ‘serious’ understates the devastating consequences of Krokodil.

The name ‘Krokodil’ is the Russian version of ‘crocodile.’ This drug is named after the reptile for a good reason. When krokodil is injected, it has a terrible impact on the skin. At the site of injection, the skin gets scaly and begins to rot. Addicts also say that whatever health condition already exist are made worse by the drug. Krokodile requires a drug cooking process that takes longer than preparing heroin. However, it uses codeine (an opiate) as its main ingredient which is readily available in pharmaceuticals. This makes the drug cheap and appealing to addicts. One of the problems with desomorphine is that people become drug-dependent much quicker than they did on traditional drugs like heroin. The other lure of this drug is the fact it is so much cheaper than heroin.¹

Cooking a Recipe for Death

The Krokodile drug cookers add a variety of ingredients like gasoline, iodine, alcohol, and oil. Chemical reactions needed to produce the drug are started by using ingredients like acid or the ingredients are boiled and filtered. The name ‘crocodile’ is due to the scaly, reptile-like flesh that develops beginning at the point of the injection and spreading around the body in reaction to the poisonous components of the drug. It is difficult to even look at a picture of someone who has been using Krokodile because their skin is literally rotting on the body.

Krokodile has been confined to Russia until recently. Crime commissions have been watching and waiting for Krokodile to show up in other countries. The United States is the first country to verify cases of Krokodile, which was in Arizona. When Krokodile is used over and over again, it causes blood vessels to burst, leading to gangrene.² The physical effects of this drug are almost too horrible to describe. In addition, the “high” only lasts about 90 minutes so drug users need to frequently repeat injections. Krokodile users have a very short lifespan of 2 to 3 years.

Urine and alcohol drug testing can detect opioids. Even if Krokodile is not in Australia (yet), employers may serve as interveners for drug users who are most likely to try the next “new thing.” Detecting drugs and alcohol via random testing programs will reveal who is using illicit substances, and employers can then direct the person to helpful resources. It is one of the best hopes Australia has for keeping this devastating drug from becoming an Australian nightmare.

Mediscreen (mediscreen.net.au) provides onsite drug & alcohol testing support services. Rigidly adhering to a drug and alcohol testing program is an important step in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and could save one or more lives.

This article has been taken from : http://www.mediscreen.net.au/new-opiate-called-krokodil-goes-beyond-russian-borders/