Horrific images of drug-users eaten alive by flesh-eating illness caused by homemade heroin substitute that has arrived on American shores in Arizona

By James Nye

PUBLISHED: 18:07 EST, 25 September 2013 | UPDATED: 06:04 EST, 26 September 2013 

The first cases of a terrifying new drug called 'Krokodil' that eats flesh from the inside out, is flammable and leaves addicts with reptilian-like skin have been reported this week in Arizona - and the state fears the beginning of an epidemic.

Popular in Russia, Krokodil is homemade, is three-times cheaper than heroin and created by mixing codeine with gasoline or oil, filtering it and then injecting the rancid concoction into the users body.

Banner's Poison Control Center most likely encountered the drug when two addicts arrived in emergency rooms with their flesh hanging off their body, exposing bone or with skin resembling that of a crocodile, hence its name.

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Effects of Krokodil: This Russian man is suffering the side-effects of Krokodil use - Banner's Poison Control Center in Arizona says the two first cases of people using a drug that can rot flesh have been reported

 

Reptilian Skin: This man's foot (left) shows symptoms of gangrene and scaliness associated with addiction to Krokodil and another individual's fingers are rotting away (both cases are from Russia)

'We've had two cases this past week that have occurred in Arizona,' said Dr. Frank LoVecchio, the co-

'As far as I know, these are the first cases in the United States that are reported. So we're extremely frightened,' he continued.

 

Graphic: News report shows horrific effects of new drug Krokodil

Scales: The drug is called Krokodil because it leaves users with scaly skin akin to that of a crocodile

Deadly Compound: Krokodil is made by mixing codeine with gasoline and has a high that is similar to heroin

Continual use of Krokodil causes blood vessels to burst, leaving skin green and scaly among addicts eventually causing gangrene and their flesh to begin to rot.

Rabid use in Russia has caused up to 2.5 million people to register and seek treatment as addicts and the average life span for a user is only two to three years.

'When drug users do it repeatedly, the skin sloughs. It causes hardening of their skin. It will cause necrosis,' explained LoVecchio.

Fears of American Krokodil Epidemic: Dr. Frank LoVecchio at Banner's Poison Control Center says he believes the two cases found in Arizona to be the start of a problem in the United States

LoVechhio says that the two cases he has encountered are most likely linked and he declined to comment on the appearance of the two users.

'Where there is smoke there is fire, and we're afraid there are going to be more and more cases,' said LoVechhio.

In Russia, Krokodil usage is spreading like a virus among young people and according to a Time magazine investigation, even those who manage to quit their addiction come away disfigured for life.

Some users in Russia develop brain damage and speech impediments in addition to the horrific scars.

Krokodil, whose medical name is desomorphine, has the same mental effect as heroin but is produced with over-the-counter codeine and mixed with gasoline, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid and even the red phosphorous scraped from the tips of matches.

Prevalent in Siberia and the Russian Far East, the explosion of users began in 2002, but over the past five years in Russia, usage has trebled.

In 2011 alone, Russia's Federal Drug Control Service confiscated 65 million doses.

The flesh rotting that is specific to Krokodil occurs directly at the injection site which could be anywhere from the feet to the forehead to the more traditional arms.

According to Time magazine, 'Gangrene and amputations are a common result, while porous bone tissue, especially in the lower jaw, often starts to dissipate, eaten up by the drug's acidity

HUD Archives: News Releases

Content Archived: January 20, 2009  

HUD MIDWEST REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION LOAN GUARANTEE TO MIDDLETOWN, OHIO
Educational institution to provide job training, increase retail sales and create 34 jobs

MIDDLETOWN - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Midwest Regional Administrator Antonio R. Riley announced today that HUD is approving a $1 million loan guarantee to the City of Middletown, Ohio to help finance the downtown collaborative revitalization initiative.

The first stage of this initiative is the purchase of vacant buildings to be developed by a for- profit affiliate of Higher Education Partners, limited liability company and leased to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC), which will reuse vacant buildings, provide job related training and increase the number of students downtown to support local businesses.

"A community college renting space in these redevelopment structures downtown will put vacant buildings to very good use. It will also increase retail business and provide job training for residents while creating approximately 34 jobs -- truly a win-win situation for Middletown," said Riley.

Several employers in the Middletown area have committed to sending employees to CSTCC for job related training. Additionally, Cincinnati State Middletown's Work Force Development Center has partnered with over thirty local corporations to both train current employees and provide future job opportunities for new CSTCC graduates.

HUD's Section 108 Loan Guarantee Assistance Program enables local governments to borrow money from private investors at reduced interest rates to promote economic development, stimulate job growth and improve public facilities. Such public investment is often needed to inspire private contributions, to provide seed money, or to simply boost confidence that many private firms and individuals need to invest in distressed areas. It allows them to transform a small portion of their CDBG funds into federally guaranteed loans large enough to pursue physical and economic revitalization projects that can renew entire neighborhoods.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.