krokodil, russia's homemade herion

barone

this is pretty gross so will just stick up links, amazing the length's people will go to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yfd_7jrnMk



Krokodil: The drug that eats junkies
A home-made heroin substitute is having a horrific effect on thousands of Russia's drug addicts

By Shaun Walker
Wednesday, 22 June 2011SHARE PRINTEMAILTEXT SIZE NORMALLARGEEXTRA LARGE
REUTERS
A heroin user prepares the drug in Zhukovsky, near Moscow

Oleg glances furtively around him and, confident that nobody is watching, slips inside the entrance to a decaying Soviet-era block of flats, where Sasha is waiting for him. Ensconced in the dingy kitchen of one of the apartments, they empty the contents of a blue carrier bag that Oleg has brought with him – painkillers, iodine, lighter fluid, industrial cleaning oil, and an array of vials, syringes, and cooking implements.

Half an hour later, after much boiling, distilling, mixing and shaking, what remains is a caramel-coloured gunge held in the end of a syringe, and the acrid smell of burnt iodine in the air. Sasha fixes a dirty needle to the syringe and looks for a vein in his bruised forearm. After some time, he finds a suitable place, and hands the syringe to Oleg, telling him to inject the fluid. He closes his eyes, and takes the hit.

Russia has more heroin users than any other country in the world – up to two million, according to unofficial estimates. For most, their lot is a life of crime, stints in prison, probable contraction of HIV and hepatitis C, and an early death. As efforts to stem the flow of Afghan heroin into Russia bring some limited success, and the street price of the drug goes up, for those addicts who can't afford their next hit, an even more terrifying spectre has raised its head.

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The home-made drug that Oleg and Sasha inject is known as krokodil, or "crocodile". It is desomorphine, a synthetic opiate many times more powerful than heroin that is created from a complex chain of mixing and chemical reactions, which the addicts perform from memory several times a day. While heroin costs from £20 to £60 per dose, desomorphine can be "cooked" from codeine-based headache pills that cost £2 per pack, and other household ingredients available cheaply from the markets.

It is a drug for the poor, and its effects are horrific. 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.

"She won't go to hospital, she just keeps injecting. Her flesh is falling off and she can hardly move anymore," says Sasha. Photographs of late-stage krokodil addicts are disturbing in the extreme. Flesh goes grey and peels away to leave bones exposed. People literally rot to death.

Russian heroin addicts first discovered how to make krokodil around four years ago, and there has been a steady rise in consumption, with a sudden peak in recent months. "Over the past five years, sales of codeine-based tablets have grown by dozens of times," says Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Drug Control Agency. "It's pretty obvious that it's not because everyone has suddenly developed headaches."

Heroin addiction kills 30,000 people per year in Russia – a third of global deaths from the drug – but now there is the added problem of krokodil. Mr Ivanov recalled a recent visit to a drug-treatment centre in Western Siberia. "They told me that two years ago almost all their drug users used heroin," said the drugs tsar. "Now, more than half of them are on desomorphine."

He estimates that overall, around 5 per cent of Russian drug users are on krokodil and other home-made drugs, which works out at about 100,000 people. It's a huge, hidden epidemic – worse in the really isolated parts of Russia where supplies of heroin are patchy – but palpable even in cities such as Tver.

It has a population of half a million, and is a couple of hours by train from Moscow, en route to St Petersburg. Its city centre, sat on the River Volga, is lined with pretty, Tsarist-era buildings, but the suburbs are miserable. People sit on cracked wooden benches in a weed-infested "park", gulping cans of Jaguar, an alcoholic energy drink. In the background, there are rows of crumbling apartment blocks. The shops and restaurants of Moscow are a world away; for a treat, people take the bus to the McDonald's by the train station.

In the city's main drug treatment centre, Artyom Yegorov talks of the devastation that krokodil is causing. "Desomorphine causes the strongest levels of addiction, and is the hardest to cure," says the young doctor, sitting in a treatment room in the scruffy clinic, below a picture of Hugh Laurie as Dr House.

"With heroin withdrawal, the main symptoms last for five to 10 days. After that there is still a big danger of relapse but the physical pain will be gone. With krokodil, the pain can last up to a month, and it's unbearable. They have to be injected with extremely strong tranquilisers just to keep them from passing out from the pain."

Dr Yegorov says krokodil users are instantly identifiable because of their smell. "It's that smell of iodine that infuses all their clothes," he says. "There's no way to wash it out, all you can do is burn the clothes. Any flat that has been used as a krokodil cooking house is best forgotten about as a place to live. You'll never get that smell out of the flat."

Addicts in Tver say they never have any problems buying the key ingredient for krokodil – codeine pills, which are sold without prescription. "Once I was trying to buy four packs, and the woman told me they could only sell two to any one person," recalls one, with a laugh. "So I bought two packs, then came back five minutes later and bought another two. Other than that, they never refuse to sell it to us, even though they know what we're going to do with it." The solution, to many, is obvious: ban the sale of codeine tablets, or at least make them prescription-only. But despite the authorities being aware of the problem for well over a year, nothing has been done.

President Dmitry Medvedev has called for websites which explain how to make krokodil to be closed down, but he has not ordered the banning of the pills. Last month, a spokesman for the ministry of health said that there were plans to make codeine-based tablets available only on prescription, but that it was impossible to introduce the measure quickly. Opponents claim lobbying by pharmaceutical companies has caused the inaction.

"A year ago we said that we need to introduce prescriptions," says Mr Ivanov. "These tablets don't cost much but the profit margins are high. Some pharmacies make up to 25 per cent of their profits from the sale of these tablets. It's not in the interests of pharmaceutical companies or pharmacies themselves to stop this, so the government needs to use its power to regulate their sale."

In addition to krokodil, there are reports of drug users injecting other artificial mixes, and the latest street drug is tropicamide. Used as eye drops by ophthalmologists to dilate the pupils during eye examinations, Dr Yegorov says patients have no trouble getting hold of capsules of it for about £2 per vial. Injected, the drug has severe psychiatric effects and brings on suicidal feelings.

"Addicts are being sold drugs by normal Russian women working in pharmacies, who know exactly what they'll be used for," said Yevgeny Roizman, an anti-drugs activist who was one of the first to talk publicly about the krokodil issue earlier this year. "Selling them to boys the same age as their own sons. Russians are killing Russians."

Zhenya, quietly spoken and wearing dark glasses, agrees to tell his story while I sit in the back of his car in a lay-by on the outskirts of Tver. He managed to kick the habit, after spending weeks at a detox clinic ,experiencing horrendous withdrawal symptoms that included seizures, a 40-degree temperature and vomiting. He lost 14 teeth after his gums rotted away, and contracted hepatitis C.

But his fate is essentially a miraculous escape – after all, he's still alive. Zhenya is from a small town outside Tver, and was a heroin addict for a decade before he moved onto krokodil a year ago. Of the ten friends he started injecting heroin with a decade ago, seven are dead.

Unlike heroin, where the hit can last for several hours, a krokodil high only lasts between 90 minutes and two hours, says Zhenya. Given that the "cooking" process takes at least half an hour, being a krokodil addict is basically a full-time job.

"I remember one day, we cooked for three days straight," says one of Zhenya's friends. "You don't sleep much when you're on krokodil, as you need to wake up every couple of hours for another hit. At the time we were cooking it at our place, and loads of people came round and pitched in. For three days we just kept on making it. By the end, we all staggered out yellow, exhausted and stinking of iodine."

In Tver, most krokodil users inject the drug only when they run out of money for heroin. As soon as they earn or steal enough, they go back to heroin. In other more isolated regions of Russia, where heroin is more expensive and people are poorer, the problem is worse. People become full-time krokodil addicts, giving them a life expectancy of less than a year.

Zhenya says every single addict he knows in his town has moved from heroin to krokodil, because it's cheaper and easier to get hold of. "You can feel how disgusting it is when you're doing it," he recalls. "You're dreaming of heroin, of something that feels clean and not like poison. But you can't afford it, so you keep doing the krokodil. Until you die."

Some of the names in this story have been changed

Daegerty

Ich bin Schnappy das kleine krokodil

Yakult

Sounds fun!!

Planemo

Ich bin Schnappy das kleine krokodil

Schnee schnow Schnappy, Scnhappy, Schnappy, Schnappy...

My name is URL

In Soviet Russia drugs take you.

strobe

Heard about this a few years ago on a forum I frequent. Thought the guy that posted about it first was taking the piss until all the chemists that hang out in the place started replying in shock that anyone would make desomorphine through the process described and actually use it as is. Messed up alright.

airyChinesekid

could the obese use it to get skinny?

karma_

Sounds horrific.

Pace2008

Had to check this up as I thought it was a hoax, but it transpires it's legit. First time I've heard of this one.

I don't think people realise how many scary analogue drugs there are out there. I can't imagine your average Joe who thinks ecstasy is death in pressed-pill form would sleep too well at night with the knowledge that there are chemicals that mimic the effects of PCP available to order on the internet.

this krokodil, will it eat all the junkies...??

heres hoping.

Laalaaa

My dinner just made a second appearance...

Alter-Ego

airyChinesekid wrote: »

could the obese use it to get skinny?

Yup, and scaly.

Cherry_Cola

Just watched the video there, absolutely shocking the lengths people will go to for a high.

It may be cheap but it will literally cost you an arm and a leg.

Richard Hillman

I knew there was a major heroin problem in Russia but i didnt think it was to unprecedented levels like this. Ive been thinking for a good while to set up ways to help these people out of their rut. I want to start up Gladiator contests. Where people with nothing to lose can fight to the death with the winners receiving handsome sums of money. We could get the glue addicts off the streets of Africa and pitch them against Russia's heroin addicts. People will pay to see this on PPV and we get to help drug addicts.

Tonyandthewhale

I would advise anyone who wants to eat today to not watch that video. Think huge clumps of flesh rotting off exposed bone and consider if you want to see that. Turns out I didn't *shudders*

Daegerty

Jaysus after reading that & watching the video I feel a lot better.

slippy wicket

That video is the scummiest thing i have seen since on man one screwdriver.

I didnt think i could see anything worse.

Thankyou internet:eek:

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

I would advise anyone who wants to eat today to not watch that video. Think huge clumps of flesh rotting off exposed bone and consider if you want to see that. Turns out I didn't *shudders*

Maybe I'll give the video a miss today then.

recylingbin

Meh, tis no cake - a new legal drug from Czechoslovakia.

Rhyme

Came for the crocodiles, stayed for the decaying flesh.

That video is the worst.

The High King

recylingbin wrote: »

Meh, tis no cake - a new legal drug from Czechoslovakia.

Could you kindly elaborate please ?

AlmightyCushion

The High King wrote: »

Could you kindly elaborate please ?

Horrible, horrible drug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbq3kc29Tmg

qz

THE FÚCK!! I thought it was a gloved hand holding a tongs that was itself holding the drugs and showing it off in the yellow bag, then the bloody camera panned out! :eek:

Gummy Panda

qz wrote: »

THE FÚCK!! I thought it was a gloved hand holding a tongs that was itself holding the drugs and showing it off in the yellow bag, then the bloody camera panned out! :eek:

same. I though this was about them making it or something.

arybvtcw0eolkf

The video clip in the OP looks fake to me.

Daegerty

Rhett Old Sampler wrote: »

The video clip in the OP looks fake to me.

Just keep telling yourself that and your appetite will be spared

stevejr

I wish I could unsee what I just saw.

inforfun

I guess i should be happy right now i am on a free, rather slow wifi connection so i dont even have to consider watching that clip.
That said, i read about it on another website yesterday that had a pic posted with the article.
So i think i know enough already.

Junkie-eating drugs. Somehow i find it really hard to see the downside, to be honest.

lesserspottedchloe

jeeeeeeeesus christ :eek:

Bloody hell, glad I didnt watch it now, after looking at most of your response's. :eek:

Setun

Blimey.

As one youtube user commented:

the purpose of the drugs are to become the people stupid.

MrCATesla 6 hours ago

AG2R

**** it, take drugs you deserve it.

milehip1

inforfun wrote: »

Junkie-eating drugs. Somehow i find it really hard to see the downside, to be honest.

AG2R wrote: »

**** it, take drugs you deserve it.

Do you hold the same opinion of an alcholic suffering from liver failure?
a chronic smoker with lung cancer?an obsese person with diabites?

54kroc

I wish I was shown something like this in school, my life would be quite different now, sweet jesus you'd never touch drugs after watching that.

TheBunk1

Meh. There is far worse out there on the net than that. I guess I've seen so much on the internet now I'm just desensitized. I thought it looked fake at first, but i dunno....

One day you're getting high,

next thing you're leg is getting sawed off with a piece of wire....

AG2R

milehip1 wrote: »

Do you hold the same opinion of an alcholic suffering from liver failure?
a chronic smoker with lung cancer?an obsese person with diabites?

Yes.

Richard Hillman

milehip1 wrote: »

Do you hold the same opinion of an alcholic suffering from liver failure?
a chronic smoker with lung cancer?an obsese person with diabites?

As a 10 a day smoker, heavy drinker and a person who eats crap but not overweight, i deserve all of them. Weak people take the wrong lifestyle choices.

Pete M.

cork45 wrote: »

I wish I was shown something like this in school

Yeah. Me too. Would have some of the other sh1te we were subjected to.

As for krocodil or whatever, of course the Russians would have to go one better than the yanks and their meth hah...

Shulgin

Richard Hillman wrote: »

As a 10 a day smoker, heavy drinker and a person who eats crap but not overweight, i deserve all of them. Weak people take the wrong lifestyle choices.

I think that kind of drug abuse is a symptom of a very sick society. People would prefer oblivion over what society has to offer them. Drugs aren't the problem..

round tower huntsman

depressing,sickening and shamefull. you have to be in dark dark place to even consider touching stuff like that.

Spunge

Makes heroin look pretty harmless

round tower huntsman

AG2R wrote: »

**** it, take drugs you deserve it.

i hope non of your kids or family ever "deserve it":mad:

round tower huntsman

Spunge wrote: »

Makes heroin look pretty harmless

not sure about that. only a heroin addict would go near that stuff so smack is clearly a gate way drug to this stuff and only someone as desperate as a heroin addict would go near it says alot about where smack will bring you.

Craebear

Spunge wrote: »

Makes heroin look pretty harmless

Well yes, proper quality heroin has little to no negative health effects and you can live a normal life with it so long as you have a constant supply. The **** you get on the streets is diluted with talcom power and feck knows what else and is poison that will kill you slowly.

duckysauce

think of the children

inforfun

milehip1 wrote: »

Do you hold the same opinion of an alcholic suffering from liver failure?
a chronic smoker with lung cancer?an obsese person with diabites?

Not really.
So far my car hasnt been broken into by an alcoholic, a tobacco smoker or an obese person.
Nor have i been threatened with a beer, a cigar or a pie in order to rob me of my money.

You probably get my point about junkies being more likely to commit a crime against me than any of the 3 examples you named.

bnt

According to a report in Pravda, the "cure" isn't exactly an attractive option for addicts either:

Practically every drug addict is aware of the situation they find themselves in. As a rule, they want to bid farewell to their addiction. Those women from Ufa were no exception. Medics could not do much to help the women. One of them eventually decided to join the Ufa division of Russia's Transformation organization.
The organization positions itself as a rehab for alcohol and drug addicts. However, the organization has earned the reputation of a totalitarian sect in the country. When joining the organization, addicts become subjected to violence and different forms of humiliation on a regular basis.
A member of the organization's program, a drug addict, died in one of its rehabs in the spring of 2009. The activity of the organization was suspended in November 2010, although several of its regional divisions continued working as if nothing happened.

Pace2008

inforfun wrote: »

You probably get my point about junkies being more likely to commit a crime against me than any of the 3 examples you named.

An opiate addict is more likely to commit robbery to fund their addiction than an alocholic, as their habit is far more expensive due to greatly increased tolerance to their drug of choice. But alcohol is implicated in far, far more violent attacks in this country.

duckysauce

inforfun wrote: »

Not really.
So far my car hasnt been broken into by an alcoholic, a tobacco smoker or an obese person.
Nor have i been threatened with a beer, a cigar or a pie in order to rob me of my money.

You probably get my point about junkies being more likely to commit a crime against me than any of the 3 examples you named.

if there was a six pack, a full pack of smokes, and happy meal on your car seat, I would say some fat achlo chain smoking c**t would have a go.

milehip1

inforfun wrote: »

Not really.
So far my car hasnt been broken into by an alcoholic, a tobacco smoker or an obese person.
Nor have i been threatened with a beer, a cigar or a pie in order to rob me of my money.

You probably get my point about junkies being more likely to commit a crime against me than any of the 3 examples you named.

Sounds like you've had some nasty experiences with addicts, sure it must suck to deal with that on a regular basis,I've been robbed once by coke heads myself ,not nice, I tried not to take it personal.

I dont think they(addicts) would be doing what they're doing if they werent in the grip of something terrible,
the're still human, they have/had parents who loved them,
like the old saying goes 'there goes us but for the grace of god'

inforfun

Pace2008 wrote: »

An opiate addict is more likely to commit robbery to fund their addiction than an alocholic, as their habit is far more expensive due to greatly increased tolerance to their drug of choice. But alcohol is implicated in far, far more violent attacks in this country.

I have no doubt that you are right.

Difference is that if some drunken tit wants to have a go at me, he is welcome.
If a junkie puts a syringe under my chin, i wouldn't like that very much.