Krokodil: The Lethal Drug That Threatens to Become a Global Epidemic [Video]

Probably the most lethal drug to be found today, desomorphine or "Krokodil" has gone from being a limited-use drug in Russia to one of the most addictive drugs that threatens to extend throughout the world.

The terrifying images of its effects on consumers, however, makes one wonder what kind of sensation it produces to make its users allow it to literally rot them from the inside.

The called "drug of the living dead" owes it name to the terrible injuries it produces on the skin of addicts which at first turns black and becomes scaly, like a crocodile's. But this is just the beginning. Prolonged used of Krokodil produces necropsy wherever its injected and causes the skin to rot and fall off, exposing bones.

Poor man's heroin

Since early 2005, the drug became popular among Russian addicts due to its low cost and because its effects are similar to heroin. According to Time magazine, in 2005, Russian's anti-drug agency sporadically reported the seizure of the substance; however, in 2011 Russia's anti-drug agency confiscated 65 million doses and the government estimates that at least a million people are addicted to Krokodil.

According to newspaper Vanguardia, desomorphine is an opiate belonging to the same family as heroin, oxycodone and codeine. According to the same source, Krokodil produces effects more quickly, however, their duration is shorter. It's estimated that the sensations it produces are the same or very similar to those of heroin.

What makes this substance so dangerous is its low cost. In Russia, the price of heroin can reach $40, while virtually anyone can cook up a dose of Krokodil in their kitchen for $4.

A life at its limit

Recently, Times published the work of Italian photographer Emanuele Satolli, who spent the last year in the city of Yekaterinburg, in the Urals, to document the life of Krokodil addicts.

The result is a series of photographs and a gripping video which shows the lives of a group of addicts, among which Zhanna stands out, a "cook" that despite knowing the devastating effects of the drug, says she has no other option besides continuing to consume Krokodil.

"This is not a drug for me anymore. It has become a way of life. It's over, there's no going back", Zhana says in the video, which can be seen on YouTube.

The reason Krokodil threatens to become a global epidemic is that its main ingredient, codeine, an opiate that can be bought without a prescription (Russia has restricted its sale since last year), can be found in cough syrup. Besides codeine, Krokodile is "cooked" with thinner, hydrochloric acid and phosphorus which can be acquired in a common box of matches.

The desolating testimonial from Krokodil users makes us reflect on the imminent dangers of addiction, and how addicts are treated, who are stigmatized for suffering from a dependence so strong that they are willing to continue its use until death.

"You have to keep using, nothing scares you, not even death. It's as I didn't know how to live without the drug. Nothing makes me happy, everything is grey. I can't do anything. I've accepted it. I'm going to use it until the end," said an addict.