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Everyone’s favorite flesh-eating drug has come to the USA

Sarah Hofmann Contributor
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The baffling drug known as “krokodil” became popular in Russia in the last decade, but never made the hop to America. That has changed now as two cases of krokodil use have been reported in Arizona.

Krokodil is similar to heroin and is made by mixing codeine and gasoline, paint thinner, oil or alcohol, reports Fox News. This mixture is then injected directly into the veins. It gets the name krokodil because the skin where the drug is injected turns green and scaly, like the skin of a crocodile. (Gallery of extremely disgusting images)

Dr. Frank LoVecchio of the Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center in Arizona said there were two patients who were users of krokodil. He said, “As far as I know, these are the first cases in the United States that are reported. So we’re extremely frightened.”

An estimated one million people in Russia were reported to be injecting krokodil in 2010. A toxicologist at Banner Good, Dr. Aaron Skolnik, said, “This is something we hoped would never make it to the U.S. because it’s so detrimental to the people who use it.”

Users of this drug can become extremely addicted and get gangrene, phlebitis and other nasty conditions.

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Tags : drugs russia
Sarah Hofmann