Recent reports suggest the flesh-eating drug known as Krokodil may have made its way into Canada.
Reports surfaced last week, saying the drug had made its way into the Niagara Region. But Niagara Regional Police Service say there has been no medical confirmation the drug is being used in Canada.
Images of the effects of the drug – a cheap alternative to heroin - show users with missing flesh, and some with skin rotting to the bone.
But Niagara police say “symptoms associated with Krokodil can be mistaken with the complications that long-term users of injectable drugs like heroin can develop through infections from reusing needles and exposing themselves to all sorts of bacteria.”
Krokodil is the street name for desomorphine: a synthetic opioid made of a concoction of codeine and household solvents such as paint thinner, lighter fluid, gasoline and red phosphorous.
It first became popular in Russia around 2009 in response to the restricted amount of heroin in the country and limited treatment options.
The drug is named for the Russian word for crocodile – users of the drug tend to develop scaly, crocodile-like skin around the injection site.
Matthew Young, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, said the toxic blend of solvents is a last choice among injection drug users.
And while Krokodil has caused horrific health problems for users in Russia, Young says there is no medical proof the drug is actually in Canada.
“I think the images that came out of Russia were so disturbing and made the rounds around the Internet, that it’s something that springs to mind when you see somebody with horrible lesions on their body from injection drug use,” Young told CTV News.
Despite the ugly side effects, Young said users keep injecting Krokodil due its highly addictive nature.
“There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that somebody who is so deeply in the throes of addiction, that the areas of their brain that are able to govern judgement and decision-making are not functioning properly - so people aren’t making the choice to do these things,” Young said.
