Krokodyl is one of drugs deadliest of today, consisting of a series of chemicals. Probably, the production of krocodil arose in the Siberia and Eastern Russia, being reported, in 2004, the first description of the abuse of this drug. This stands out for its destructive capacity, causing injuries never seen in other types of addictive substances.
The drug, which is injected by intravenously, is a cheaper version of heroin. It has great potential to cause addiction, and its action and effects are quite fast. Because of your low cost, many people start using it without knowing its true consequences.
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Krokodil composition
The main substance found in krokodil is the desomorphine, a kind of morphine synthetic. The drug can easily be manufactured in homes through a substance known as codeine, a medicine indicated for pain that is purchased in pharmacies, and other easily accessible substances, such as
gasoline, hydrochloric acid, iodine and phosphorus. Due to the quantity of products used for its manufacture and its characteristics, it is easy to see that the mixture formed is extremely toxic and often full of impurities.Read too:LSD - Very Potent Synthetic Drug That Causes Hallucinations
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Effects of using krokodil
O krokodil causes effects similar to those observed when a person uses the heroin, being the desomorphine responsible for inducing euphoria and anxiolytic effect (acts on anxiety and tension) by binding to specific receptors. Desomorphine is also responsible for the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter related, among other processes, to the sensation of pleasure.
Unlike heroine, krokodil does not have a prolonged effect. While heroin can have effects lasting four to eight hours, krokodil has effects for at most an hour and a half.
The use of krokodil generates physical and psychological dependence, and the user, when he stops using it, presents the abstinence syndrome, which is characterized by triggering, among other problems, insomnia, irritability and anxiety. These symptoms cause the use to become more and more frequent and also make it very difficult for the user to quit the drug.
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Consequences of using krokodil
Among the serious damage caused by krokodil to users, the skin full of ulcerations, greenish and scaly, reminiscent of a crocodile. This drug also causes damage to blood vessels and soft tissue at injection sites, causing necrosis and gangrene. In this region, the lesions can be so big that they leave exposed muscles and bones, this being a characteristic that makes krokodil popularly called a “meat-eating drug”. It is worth noting that the effects do not only occur at drug injection sites; spread throughout the body, reaching, for example, the nervous system, endocrine system, liver and kidneys.
When the user seeks medical help to treat the injuries, the standard procedure is to cleaning of areas and, in severe cases, the performance of amputations. However, as drug users usually seek medical help in the late stages of complications, it is not always possible to save the patient. Some articles report that the average life span after starting krokodil use is about two years.
Another important point is that, analyzing the people who use the drug and the onset of symptoms, it is noted that the advance of complications is quite fast. Furthermore, the death rates are staggering.
In addition to all the problems caused by the drug, another issue that deserves attention is the disease transmission through shared needles, this being an important issue with regard to all injecting drugs. As the drug causes a frequent need for use, the risks are increased, mainly because people who use them, most of the time, are subjected to greater danger situations.
Therefore, although the use of Krokodil is not reported in our country, it is essential that information about its effects is made available. Due to its low cost, we cannot rule out its advances to other areas of the globe.
Read too:Risks of synthetic drugs
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos