Cheap, flesh-eating drug enters US, has Russian origin

Krokodil is a drug originating in Russia in 2002 and has recently entered the United States. The drug is injected and causes skin to melt away, sometimes exposing muscle and bone.

Cases have been discovered in Arizona, and more recently Illinois, involving the use of a flesh-eating drug known as Krokodil. Krokodil is not a new drug — it has been causing problems in Russia since it was created in 2002.

However, until September Krokodil had not spread into the United States.

Krokodil is three times cheaper than heroin and provides a much shorter high, but the consequences of using the drug are much worse, according to drugfree.org. Krokodil is highly flammable and eats the user’s flesh from the inside out, leaving them with reptilian-like skin that resembles a crocodile’s skin, giving Krokodil its name. Some may fear an epidemic and question why anyone would use this drug.

“First of all, I want to know how this got in my country,” said student Chad Miller. “Why, if you know the side effects, would you take it? You’re walking around looking like a zombie just to get high.”

Student Olivia Melvin said she could understand why someone would take the drug.

“If someone’s looking for a more extreme high, I can see why they’d take it,” Melvin said. “You get an effect where the body gets accustomed to a higher and higher tolerance.”

People oftentimes do not care about the consequences of drug abuse, said Alex Takeuchi, university ombudsman and Sociology professor.

“Those people who go for drugs, whether it’s Krokodil or just regular heroine or any other narcotics, are going after relief, psychological or physical,” Takeuchi said. “I think the main reason why some people are willing to take chances trying this horrible drug out is probably because it’s cheap — that’s the main thing.”

Krokodil was developed in Russia where most people were unable to afford real drugs, Takeuchi said.

“You can cook [Krokodil] at home, getting the right ingredients, which are cheaper and easier to get access to,” Takeuchi said. “We’re talking about a cheap, quick drug that you can easily get.”

When it comes to drug abuse, there are several different reasons and factors involved. Because drug abuse is different from other crimes in that it does not involve harming other people, people who would not otherwise commit more serious crimes find substance abuse easier to commit, Takeuchi said.

Finances plays a big role in a person’s decision to abuse drugs, Takeuchi said.

“The economy is getting a little bit better, but overall it’s still pretty bad out there compared to years ago,” Takeuchi said. “I think the hardship is very, very strongly copulated with many other personal level problems — family relationships, interpersonal relationships, self-view and all sorts of other mental health issues. Cheaper means easier to try, easier to have access to and more appealing to those people who are basically suffering a lot of distress in society. If you’re happy, you don’t have to abuse any substance.”

Krokodil will could potentially become a problem in the U.S., Takeuchi said.

“I don’t know how popular it will be, but I still suspect those people who have a lot of financial strain and who may want to abuse substances may try it just because it’s cheaper to get, easier to get,” Takeuchi said. “And young people, too, especially young males, who have tendencies toward delinquency, they are typically risk takers in their personalities and behaviors. What I’m hoping, though, is that the negative effect and the detrimental consequences will travel fast amongst people so that it will not create a big epidemic in our country.”

At some point, the drug will reach Alabama, Takeuchi said.

“We are not one of the richest states in the nation,” he said. “We have always been one of the poorer states, if not poorest. We’ve always had some drug problems and I’m sure we will see some people willing to try it. If you just focus on the financial state of Alabama, we do have risk, yes, but if you focus on other subculture aspects of this region, religiosity and things like that, and more people hesitant to even drink alcohol, we may not have a big problem. [Krokodil] will come, but I don’t think it is going to take over this society or young people or anything like that.”