“Krokodil,” a toxic homemade opioid that has been used as a cheap heroin substitute in poor rural areas of Russia, has recently been featured in news reports alleging its appearance in parts of the United States. The CEWG is investigating, although the DEA has not yet confirmed any krokodil in this country.
Krokodil is a synthetic form of a heroin-like drug called desomorphine that is made by combining codeine tablets with various toxic chemicals including lighter fluid and industrial cleaners. Desomorphine has a similar effect to heroin in the brain, although it is more powerful and has a shorter duration. Krokodil gets its name from the scaly, gray-green dead skin that forms at the site of an injection. The flesh destroyed by krokodil becomes gangrenous, and, in some cases, limb amputation has been necessary to save a user’s life.
We will update this page with any further information on krokodil in the U.S., if cases are found.