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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.

I wonder if desomorphine will ever catch on in the US.

The story of how "crocodile" took off in Russia reminds me of how crystal meth became prevalent in the US: the government cracks down on one drug (marijuana, heroin), and users compensate by synthesizing a far worse one from OTC ingredients.

"MOOOORRREEEE DRUGGGSSSS!!!"

hahaha. never watched someone you care about destroy themselves with drugs have you??
prick.

It was used in Switzerland under the brand name Permonid, and was described as having a fast onset and a short duration of action, with relatively little nausea or respiratory depression compared to equivalent doses of morphine.

The drug is easily made from codeine, iodine and red phosphorus in a similar process to the manufacture of methamphetamine from pseudoephedrine, but desomorphine made this way is highly impure and contaminated with various toxic and corrosive byproducts. Since this mix is routinely injected immediately with little or no further purification, "Krokodil" has become notorious for producing severe tissue damage, phlebitis and gangrene, sometimes requiring limb amputation, in long-term users.

Yes I have, actually, unfortunately, heroin, from start to finish. And another with alcohol too. You deal with it eventually by sad acceptance and jet black humor, cos it's too damned painful otherwise. Don't put words in my mouth. You don't know me.

I wonder if desomorphine will ever catch on in the US.

The story of how "crocodile" took off in Russia reminds me of how crystal meth became prevalent in the US: the government cracks down on one drug (marijuana, heroin), and users compensate by synthesizing a far worse one from OTC ingredients.