where is krokodil found

Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.

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What country is krokodil in?

Krokodil was reportedly first used in Russia in 2003 (Gahr et. al., 2012) and continues to spread to surrounding countries like the Ukraine, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. Although use is concentrated in the Soviet region, countries like Germany and Norway have also reported cases of krokodil use, as well.

When was krokodil discovered?

Desomorphine (Dihydrodesoxymorphine or dihydrodesoxymorphine-D) is a synthetic opioid-like substance synthesized in the 1930s in the United States. Its street names are “Krokodil” and “Crocodil.” Desomorphine produces an opiate-like action with a fast onset and brief action.

How long can you live on krokodil?

Due to the high dependence potential and the toxicity of Krokodil, the mean survival time after first use is reported to be 2 years.

Where is krokodil most popular?

In Russia, where krokodil is most popular, people often combine tablets of codeine (opioid pain relievers) with other drugs and toxic substances to create desomorphine or something like it.

How was krokodil created?

Krokodil (said like “crocodile”) or Russian heroin is homemade Desomorphine, which is created by mixing codeine with organic solvents to create a synthetic form of heroin.

How did the drug krokodil get its name?

The name krokodil emerged due to the appearance of the skin lesions around the injection site, where it turns green and scaly like a crocodile skin due to desquamation. It is also known as the "drug that eats junkies" and "Russia's Designer drug." It is not available as a prescription anywhere in the world.

Is krokodil Russian?

Krokodil has been synthesized in Russia for over a decade. Reports have noted that over one million people in Russia use or have used krokodil according to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. Krokodil goes by the names of “Cheornaya” in Russia and “Himiya” in Ukraine.

Is krokodil natural?

Krokodil is a semi-synthetic narcotic drug used as a cheap alternative to heroin.

Is Krokodil Addictive?

Krokodil is a schedule I controlled substance in the U.S., indicating that it’s highly addictive with no approved medical uses. People may wonder, “Why is krokodil addictive?” As with other opioids, krokodil activates receptor sites in the brain. This activation triggers reward responses that can contribute to addiction.

What are the ingredients in krokodil?

It is ill-advised for anyone to learn how to make krokodil. Krokodil ingredients can include harmful, and potentially explosive, substances like: 1 Codeine 2 Gasoline 3 Hydrochloric acid 4 Iodine

What does krokodil look like?

Krokodil can look like a clear or colored liquid. Krokodil can also look like heroin in many cases. However, because of the different substances in krokodil, the color may vary from batch to batch. Frequently, krokodil is a yellow liquid with an acidic odor.

Why is krokodil dangerous?

Krokodil production is highly dangerous because of the highly toxic ingredients used. Using very little equipment and codeine, krokodil can be made in less than an hour. The codeine is extracted from medications and then combined with a solvent. A base is added, and then acid.

How long does it take for krokodil to work?

Krokodil effects are similar to heroin and other opioids. Krokodil drug effects tend to occur within two to three minutes after administration. The effects are estimated to be 10 times stronger than morphine and in some cases as much as 15 times more powerful. People may feel a short-lived high like that of heroin. Krokodil drug effects can include not only the euphoric high but also respiratory depression and drowsiness.

Why is krokodil called a zombie drug?

Krokodil is nicknamed the “zombie drug” because of its flesh-eating effects at injection sites and elsewhere throughout the body. Krokodil effects can lead to the need for skin grafts, surgeries and limb amputations. When krokodil is injected, it damages the vein and can lead to infections.

How many people use krokodil in Russia?

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services reports that around one million people in Russia use krokodil. Reported use of krokodil may occur in countries including Ukraine, Georgia, Germany and Norway.

Where did Krokodil come from?

Origins of Krokodil. The drug krokodil first cropped up in the early 2000s in Russia following a major crackdown on heroin trafficking. Due to its proximity to the Afghanistan border, Russia has suffered an opiate problem for years. At the time when krokodil made its way onto the drug scene, Russia reportedly had more heroin users ...

What does iodine smell like?

Some have described it as acid-like or that it smells like burnt iodine. “It’s that smell of iodine that infuses all their clothes,” Russian doctor Artyom Yegorov told the Independent in an interview. “There’s no way to wash it out, all you can do is burn the clothes.

What happens when you mix codeine and desomorphine?

The mixture is then heated for 45 minutes so a chemical reaction can take place, turning the α-chlorocodide into desomorphine – the active ingredient that produces the euphoric like high. Sometimes users add cigarette ash to balance the pH of the mixture.

How many heroin users are there in Russia?

Unofficial reports said there were up to 2 million heroin users. However, the Russian government tried to stem the trafficking of Afghan heroin into the country and police began cracking down on dealers causing ...

Why do you add cigarette ash to Krokodil?

Sometimes users add cigarette ash to balance the pH of the mixture. However, because a lot of the chemicals that are added to the mixture and the over-the-counter codeine isn’t pure, Krokodil contains numerous side products.

What is the first step in removing codeine from a drug?

The first step requires a liquid like gasoline or household cleaning products to extract the codeine from over-the-counter drugs or other prescription opioids.

What did doctors notice about drug addicts?

In hospitals in East Russia and Siberia doctors started noticing drug addicts with weird wounds. They had patches of flesh turning dark and scaly, like a crocodile’s.

How is krokodil made?

Similar to morphine or heroin, krokodil is made by mixing codeine with substances like gasoline, paint thinner, oil or alcohol. That mixture is then injected into a vein, potentially causing an addict's skin to turn greenish, scaly and eventually rot away.

What are the ingredients in codeine?

To produce the potentially deadly drug, which has a comparable effect to heroin but is much cheaper to make, users mix codeine with gasoline, paint thinner, iodine, hydrochloric acid and red phosphorous.

What is the drug that is similar to heroin?

To produce krokodil, which has a comparable effect to heroin but is much cheaper to make, users mix codeine with gasoline, paint thinner, iodine, hydrochloric acid and red phosphorous. (Reuters) Krokodil, a flesh-eating drug which first surfaced in Russia more than a decade ago, has reportedly been found in the United States. ...

What is the name of the large pieces of dead skin?

Those large pieces of dead skin are referred to as eschars, Marmur said, leaving the user prone to infection, amputation and other complications. Marmur said at the time that she was concerned the drug could eventually make its way into the United States. "It's horrible," she continued.

How many people were injecting sulfate into their veins in 2010?

In 2010, up to a million people, according to various estimates, were injecting the resulting substance into their veins in Russia, thus far the only country worldwide to see it grow into an epidemic, Time reports.

When did a drug first appear in Russia?

According to reports, the drug first appeared in Siberia and parts of Russia around 2002, but has spread throughout the country in recent years. Officials at the Washington-based National Institute on Drug Abuse told FoxNews.com in 2011 that they had not heard of the drug prior to an inquiry by FoxNews.com.

What is the krokodil drug?

Krokodil is the street name for an opioid drug called desomorphine. It is a cheap heroin alternative that’s an opioid derivative of codeine, similar to morphine. Krokodil also frequently contains other toxic substances like paint thinner and gasoline.

What are the effects of krokodil?

Like heroin and other opioids, it has calming and pain-relieving effects , as well as gives users a euphoric high. According to reports, krokodil is 10 times more potent than morphine and is three times more toxic. It’s also highly addictive.

How long does it take for krokodil to work?

Krokodil is typically taken using a needle and syringe to inject the liquid into a vein or under the skin. According to reports, it only takes two to three minutes for the drug to start having an effect. After onset, the euphoric effect is short-lived, usually lasting less than two hours.

How long does krokodil last?

User injecting krokodil into arm. After onset, the euphoric effect is short-lived, usually lasting less than two hours. Due to the short duration of the high many users will repeatedly and frequently administer the drug to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

How many Krokodil were seized in 2011?

And according to media reports, approximately 65 million doses of krokodil were seized in 2011 in Russia. Although in 2012, in response to the rise in Krokodil use, the Russian government implemented stricter controls on codeine, which is frequently used to make the drug.

Why is Krokodil so popular?

Krokodil became popular because it was easy to make from stuff found in hardware stores and pharmacies, not to mention it was also much cheaper than heroin. Preparing a dose of Krokodil.

Which drug is the hardest to cure?

According to one Russian drug treatment center doctor, krokodil causes the strongest level of addiction and the addiction is the hardest substance addiction to cure.

How old is Zhanna after taking krokodil?

Zhanna, 34 years old, is out in the Uralmash district about thirty minutes after she has taken krokodil. A stage of krokodil's preparation. Andrey, 43 years old, injects Zhanna with krokodil in his apartment in the Uralmash district. Zhanna, under the influence of krokodil, tries to relax.

What was the hardest part of the Time Lightbox series?

Three years ago, the hardest part of producing the series for TIME LightBox was to win enough trust to be invited into the kitchens where the addicts cooked krokodil and the shabby apartments they used to shoot up. “The challenge was not to make a cliché picture of an addict with a needle in the arm,” he says. “I tried to respect them, to show that they were more than just drug addicts, to show their whole lives.”

How old is Oxana?

Oxana, 33 years old, cooks krokodil. Oxana injects krokodil. The codeine is boiled in a closed bottle for a few minutes as part of the preparation of krokodil. Alexey, 30 years old, blows air in a bottle to push the liquid through a filter and use it to prepare the krokodil.

What is codeine mixed with?

A stage of krokodil preparation. Pills of codeine are crushed and mixed with iodine, hydrochloric acid and other chemicals.

What is the deadliest drug in the world?

The World's Deadliest Drug: Krokodil's Legacy. The following photographs were taken in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2013. Alexei, age 33, injects a dose of krokodil. Because of his dependence on krokodil, Alexei has injuries and swelling around his feet and is forced to walk with a cane. A stage of krokodil preparation.

When did Emanuele Satolli go knocking on apartment doors?

By Simon Shuster. June 9, 2016 4:00 AM EDT. E arly this spring, when the snow began to melt in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, the photographer Emanuele Satolli went knocking on apartment doors in the Uralmash district, a grimy neighborhood in the north of the city. He knew many of its hallways by heart.

Where did Satolli see the bodies of addicts?

Sometimes the answer was clear. At the city’s crematorium, he was able to access the records of addicts who had died, as well as the names of the relatives who had identified their bodies. Some of those family members then took Satolli to see their graves, which were decorated with the photos of their young faces staring somberly out at the snow.

Why is krokodil used in Russia?

Krokodil’s chemical instability and short high leads to binges of frequent injecting among users. This kind of use is regarded as a risk factor for blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C. And, the stigma around drug use and strict drug laws in Russia mean krokodil users tend to avoid hospitals, exacerbating their injecting injuries.

How much heroin was seized in Russia in 2010?

By comparison, a mean of 2,922 kilograms of heroin was seized each year between 2006 and 2010. Shortages of Afghan heroin and a police crackdown on dealers likely contributed to the rapid increases in krokodil use within Russia after 2010.

Where is Krokodil made?

Krokodil first emerged in provincial Russia during the early 2000s. It’s an illicit injectable drug, easily baked in home kitchens from codeine-containing medication, iodine, phosphorus, paint thinner, and lighter fuel. Its active ingredient is intended to be desomorphine, a synthetic opiate, but most home-baked krokodil is impure.

What is the name of the drug that eats zombies?

Reports of a “ flesh-eating zombie drug ” called krokodil, accompanied by lurid images first appeared in English during 2010. The drug serves as an excellent illustration of the havoc bad drug policies can wreak on communities. Krokodil first emerged in provincial Russia during the early 2000s.

Is krokodil a Russian invention?

Even though krokodil use has decreased, the problems facing Russian illicit drug policy remain. Krokodil was a Russian invention, but today, Russian decision makers associate both illicit drug use and the interventions to reduce injecting-related harms as unwelcome foreign ideas.

Is Krokodil a health misadventure?

A case of policy misadventure. The history of krokodil is a colourful case of health policy misadventure. To understand it, the drug needs to be examined in context. Krokodil is just the latest home-baked illicit drug to affect Russia and surrounding countries. Moonshine vodka production had long been widespread.

Where do opium poppies grow?

And across much of southern Russia, opium poppies have grown wild since time immemorial. These poppies were traditionally used in cooking and medicine. But after the USSR dissipated in 1991, they came increasingly to be used in home-made injectable drugs.

How big do crocodiles get?

Several other large species can reach over 5.2 m (17 ft) long and weigh over 900 kg (2,000 lb). Crocodilians show pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males growing much larger and more rapidly than females. Despite their large adult sizes, crocodiles start their lives at around 20 cm (7.9 in) long. The largest species of crocodile is the saltwater crocodile, found in eastern India, northern Australia, throughout South-east Asia, and in the surrounding waters.

Why do crocodiles cry?

It is derived from an ancient anecdote that crocodiles weep in order to lure their prey, or that they cry for the victims they are eating, first told in the Bibliotheca by Photios I of Constantinople. The story is repeated in bestiaries such as De bestiis et aliis rebus. This tale was first spread widely in English in the stories of the Travels of Sir John Mandeville in the 14th century, and appears in several of Shakespeare 's plays. In fact, crocodiles can and do generate tears, but they do not actually cry.

How do crocodiles survive?

Its streamlined body enables it to swim swiftly; it also tucks its feet to the side while swimming, making it faster by decreasing water resistance. Crocodiles have webbed feet which , though not used to propel them through the water , allow them to make fast turns and sudden moves in the water or initiate swimming. Webbed feet are an advantage in shallow water, where the animals sometimes move around by walking. Crocodiles have a palatal flap, a rigid tissue at the back of the mouth that blocks the entry of water. The palate has a special path from the nostril to the glottis that bypasses the mouth. The nostrils are closed during submergence.

Why are crocodiles dangerous?

The larger species of crocodiles are very dangerous to humans, mainly because of their ability to strike before the person can react. The saltwater crocodile and Nile crocodile are the most dangerous, killing hundreds of people each year in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa. The mugger crocodile and American crocodile are also dangerous to humans.

How fast can a crocodile move?

Crocodiles can move quickly over short distances, even out of water. The land speed record for a crocodile is 17 km/h (11 mph) measured in a galloping Australian freshwater crocodile. Maximum speed varies between species. Some species can gallop, including Cuban crocodiles, Johnston's crocodiles, New Guinea crocodiles, African dwarf crocodiles, and even small Nile crocodiles. The fastest means by which most species can move is a "belly run", in which the body moves in a snake-like (sinusoidal) fashion, limbs splayed out to either side paddling away frantically while the tail whips to and fro. Crocodiles can reach speeds of 10–11 km/h (6–7 mph) when they "belly run", and often faster if slipping down muddy riverbanks. When a crocodile walks quickly, it holds its legs in a straighter and more upright position under its body, which is called the "high walk". This walk allows a speed of up to 5 km/h.

Why did the Surabaya shark fight the crocodile?

However one day the shark swam into the river estuary to hunt, this angered the crocodile, who declared it his territory. The Shark argued that the river was a water-realm which meant that it was shark territory, while the crocodile argued that the river flowed deep inland, so it was therefore crocodile territory. A ferocious fight resumed as the two animals bit each other. Finally the shark was badly bitten and fled to the open sea, and the crocodile finally ruled the estuarine area that today is the city.

What is a crocodile?

The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia, which includes the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae ), the gharial and false gharial (family Gavialidae ), and all other living and fossil Crocodylomorpha .

What is the deadliest drug in the world?

The World’s Deadliest Drug: Inside a Krokodil Cookhouse. The following photographs were taken in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2013. Alexei, age 33, injects a dose of krokodil. Because of his dependence on krokodil, Alexei has injuries and swelling around his feet and is forced to walk with a cane. Emanuele Satolli.

What is codeine mixed with?

A stage of krokodil preparation. Pills of codeine are crushed and mixed with iodine, hydrochloric acid and other chemicals.

How long does a zombie drug last?

That side effect has earned krokodil its other nickname: the zombie drug. The typical life span of an addict is just two or three years.

Where is the Krokodil epidemic?

The krokodil epidemic may have peaked in Russia, but the drug’s use has already been reported elsewhere. In October, a report published online in the American Journal of Medicine confirmed the case of a 30-year-old addict in Richmond Heights, Mo., whose finger “fell off” and whose skin began to rot after he began injecting krokodil. The monster has crossed the ocean.

When did the codeine ban start?

A ban on over-the-counter codeine sales that was introduced on June 1, 2012, has brought numbers down sharply, but Emanuele Satolli, an Italian photographer who has been chronicling a group of Russian addicts, says many now score that key ingredient on the black market. For the past year, Satolli has focused on the industrial city of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, a place notorious in Russia for drug abuse, photographing about a dozen krokodil addicts.

How long does codeine take to boil?

The codeine is boiled in a closed bottle for a few minutes as part of the preparation of krokodil.

How old is Zhanna?

Zhanna, 34 years old, is out in the Uralmash district about thirty minutes after she has taken krokodil.

What Is The Krokodil Drug?

What Are The Effects of Krokodil?

How Common Is Krokodil use?

• Russia and Ukraine had the highest number of users. In 2011, it was estimated that approximately 100,000 people were using krokodil in Russia, and around 20,000 were using it in Ukraine. And according to media reports, approximately 65 million doses of krokodil were seized in 2011 in Russia. Although in 2012, in response to the rise in Krokodil use...

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What Is Krokodil Made of?

How Is Krokodil used?