Krokodil, a Russian Heroin Substitute

Iodine, codeine pain killers, industrial cleaning oil, and lighter fluid are distilled together to form desomorphine. This drug goes by the street name Krokodil and hails from Russia as a cheaper, more potent alternative to heroin.

This “alternative” manages to be even scarier than the original: Once a user begins regular administration of the drug, their life expectancy plummets down to a mere year.

Some of the horrific effects of this drug are outlined in an article published by The Independent:

It was given its reptilian name because its poisonous ingredients quickly turn the skin scaly. Worse follows. Oleg and Sasha have not been using for long, but Oleg has rotting sores on the back of his neck.

“If you miss the vein, that’s an abscess straight away,” says Sasha. Essentially, they are injecting poison directly into their flesh. One of their friends, in a neighbouring apartment block, is further down the line.

“…Her flesh is falling off and she can hardly move anymore,” says Sasha. … Flesh goes grey and peels away to leave bones exposed. People literally rot to death.

More information on this drug can be found in the expose from The Independent.