The popular drug krokodil and its devastating effects.
Desomorphine, poor man’s heroin, or simply the cannibal drug. All these names refer to the same drug. This substance has become popular in the media under the name krokodil.
Krokodil is a mixture of codeine, gasoline, or oil. It is a substance derived from morphine but is up to 10 times more potent. This drug causes greenish, scaly lesions on the body that resemble the skin of a crocodile. This is the origin of the name given to it in Russia, the place from which it is feared it will spread across Europe.
The first known case in our country was treated by one of Spain’s leading specialists in krokodil. This was Gonzalo Haro Cortés, a physician at the Consorcio Hospitalario Provincial de Castellón.
Effects of Krokodil
The devastating capacity of this drug, called “poor man’s heroin” because it is very similar to it but cheaper, is extremely high. Its destructive effects begin with skin blemishes. The skin turns gray and, in some cases, even falls off due to continued use, leaving the bones exposed. It is estimated that the flesh rots within three years.
The cannibal drug is homemade and is part of the synthetic opiates. It is created through a complex chain of chemical reactions and mixtures.
If you would like more information about krokodil and new drugs, you can read this interview with Dr. Gonzalo Haro Cortés, who has studied the effects of substances such as “spice” and the cannibal drug.
