A flesh-eating drug known as "krokodil" has been rumored to have hit Arizona, New York and Illinois, after being in Russia for an entire decade, according to IBTimes.
The name of the drug was derived from the greenish, scaly sores that immediately develop close to the injection sites on the user's body parts. This infection can result to the rotting of the flesh off a limb, such as the extremities - arms and legs and later on expose the bones. Life expectancy of the people who abuse "krokodil" has been reported to just a maximum of two to three years and some people even claim that those who do abuse drug pretty much turn into zombies. Doctors at the Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center received two separate reports of suspected "krokodil" use in the past month, according to the Verge.
"We're taking it very seriously because we're worried that this drug has finally made it here in some substantial quantity," says Dr. Aaron Skolnik, a toxicologist at Banner. "We would love to be wrong, but whenever we hear about stuff like this, we usually get more." "Krokodil" has been considered a type of "moonshine drug" that is often cooked at home using codeine pills and lighter fluid chemicals and iodine.
According to media reports, it is more addictive than heroine, cheaper than prescription painkillers and gets a person ten times more high than morphine but for a shorter period of time. However, the cooking process of the drug which typically leaves residues of toxins and even heavy metals which is directly injected into arms, legs and groin is what makes it even more alarming. Prolonged or even short-term use can damage several parts of the body including the thyroid, muscles and blood vessels.
