HUFFINGTON POST: According to Joliet Patch, [Dr. Abhin ] Singla is treating what appear to be the first cases of krokodil reported in the Chicago metro area.
“As of late as last week, the first cases – a few people in Utah and Arizona – were reported to have been using the heroin-like drug, which rots the skin from the inside out,” Singala said in a Tuesday press release. “It is a horrific way to get sick. The smell of rotten flesh permeates the room.
Intensive treatment and skin grafts are required, but they often are not enough to save limbs or lives.”
While the drug has been in Russia for at least a decade, krokodil is only now making its way to the states. The first reported instances of the intravaneous drug cropped up in Arizona roughly two weeks ago… (more)
EDITOR: When queried, this is what Doug McVay, Editor of Drug War Facts had to report:
“There are some good, reliable sources regarding krokodil, or desomorphine, for example
http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+8070
“I’ll have some items added today. (There is already an item in the Russian section which mentions desomorphine but only in passing and without mentioning the street name.)
“I should note that the handful of reports of cases of possible krokodil use in the US have not been confirmed by any lab tests, and some in the harm reduction community – including Dan Bigg from Chicago – are cautioning against a panic
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-10-11/news/ct-met-krokodil-20131013_1_drug-users-dan-bigg-kathleen-kane-willis
“Having said that, when/whether these reports are confirmed or not, we’ll shortly have information about it in DWF.”
