Krokodil is an opiate with the scientific name desomorphine and is spreading across the United States at an alarming rate. Like all opiates, Krokodil stimulates the reward center of the brain and one big side effect of the drug is that it will cause users skin to rot away. It is estimated that 1 million people in Russia are addicted to Krokodil and now this drug has made it’s ways to U. S. shores.

According to CBS News, “More cases of Krokodil use are reportedly popping up around the United States, prompting some medical professionals to warn that the addictive, poisonous drug has reached American shores …

“It doesn’t help that the drug is easy to produce at home with codeine, gasoline, paint thinner and a few other ingredients. Codeine is sold over-the-counter in Russia, and addicts can easily purchase these items necessary to cook the drug.

“The finished product isn’t purified and may contain toxic substances left over from the cooking process, which cause tissue damage to the veins and flesh and can result in gangrene, or body tissue that rots and dies. The drug got its nickname — which means crocodile in Russian — for the green, scale-like spots abusers develop after shooting up. The average user dies within two to three years after starting to use the drug.”